The Complications of Being a Demigod
by iheartpercyj
Summary: Dylan Green's Life was just great, until she learns of a secret that just might change her life forever. Nico/OC.
1. Surprises

Hi Guys!

So, I'm new to Fanfiction, and this is my first story. Hope you like it and for those who absolutely love stories with Nico A., read on!

~line~

Complicated Life and Love of a Demigod

Chapter 1: Surprises

Dylan's POV

I woke up to my puppy, Peewee, licking my face. I thought that my day was about to get better, but boy, was I wrong. I'm Dylan Green (don't ask me why my surname is like that, I don't really know.). I was living a normal life (mostly) until one day, my dad told me a secret that I really didn't want to know.

"Dylan, sweetie, come here." My dad said, motioning to the space beside him on the couch. "We need to talk."

Oh great. Just great. I just came home from dance classes, dead tired, and my dad's gonna chew me out for something that I didn't do.

"What is it dad"?

He sighed. "This news is probably going to surprise you, so please ta-"

"Just tell me, dad"

Just then, someone knocked at the door. "Guess it'll have to wait," I shrugged and stood up to get the door. I had the biggest shock of my life.

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" I half screamed, half asked.

"Honey, these are kids just like you, so please take it easy." My dad said, pulling me down my seat.

"Yeah, right, take it easy." I said sarcastically.

Now, there were three more people in our loft. The girl had blond hair and stormy gray eyes. The guy beside her had sea green eyes, a nice tan and dark hair. Another guy was playing with my dog, and had pitch black hair, matching eye color and had pale skin. In my standards, I thought he was cute.

"They're gonna take you to the only place on earth safe for people like you". My dad said. "Now get packing, you're leaving today."

I didn't want to yell at my dad in front of our "guests", so I decided to let it slide. "Fine. How about dance class?"

"I called them already."

I sighed. Then I turned to Blondie. "Can I take my dog there?"

"Oh sure. Just don't let her get loose." She replied.

After an hour of packing, I was led to a white van. "Bye, dad." I said. "Bye sweetie. Take care."

I climbed in the van with Peewee and the Pale Dude. "So, I'm Annabeth, this is Percy, and that is Nico." Annabeth said. I turned to Nico. "Hi. I'm Dylan." "Hey." He replied. He continued to stare at me, even though I looked away already. I snapped my fingers in his face, and he snapped out of it. "Sorry. Got a little distracted there." He replied, running a hand through his shaggy mass of hair. "Oo-kay. So, we'll explain things to you when we get to camp, so let's just travel in peace." Annabeth said. Then I leaned back, and fell asleep to the song "The Lazy Song".

Nico's POV

When I saw the girl we were supposed to pick up, my insides churned. She was cute, with dark hair, same dark eyes and an expression that told me that she didn't expect this. She invited us inside. Then, to avoid what was going to happen, I played with her dog, which was a Labrador puppy. I heard her bellow at Annabeth and Percy, but she agreed to come with us.

Then, just my luck, I got to sit with her… and her dog. When she looked at me and said hi, I couldn't stop looking at her. Her name was Dylan. Then she fell asleep, and a few minutes later, she was leaning on my shoulder. I blushed, and then Percy remarked, "Oohh, Nico found another girl to hit on." "Oh shut up. She probably won't like me back." I said. "So you do like her?" Annabeth asked. "I didn't say that." Percy chuckled. "Whatever."

Dylan's POV

When Nico woke me up, my head was on his shoulder. I sat up, and outside, I could see a hill, with a pine tree on top of it. "Where are we, exactly?" I asked. "Oh, we're in Long Island Sound, New York. Camp Half-Blood." Nico said helpfully, shouldering my duffel bag and carrying Peewee's cage. Somewhere on the other side of the hill, a conch horn sounded. "Great. We're just in time for dinner."

We hiked up the hill, and then halfway there I heard a terrible noise. It was a screech. I looked up. There was a horrible thing flying toward us. "Harpy!" Nico yelled, dropping my stuff. I was too petrified to move. Nico drew a sword. Wait, a SWORD? "Whoa. Dude, is that a sword?" I asked. "Isn't it obvious?" he replied. Annabeth and Percy had drawn theirs, too. "Dylan!" Nico yelled. Only too late did I realize that the harpy swooped down had wounded my arm, and my vision went hazy. There was a huge cut, and it was oozing green liquid. "Her sword's poisoned!" Annabeth yelled. They were all fending off the harpy. _Think._ I thought._ Thick vines. _Then the ground rumbled. A huge vine had sprouted from the ground, enclosing the harpy and hopefully, crushing her. When the vine recoiled, the harpy was gone. Then, I blacked out.

Ooh, cliffy, right? So read and review!


	2. Mates or Dates?

Chapter 2: Mates or Dates?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own PJ&O.

Nico's POV

I can't believe that when we were so close to reaching the camp, we were attacked by a harpy. I knew that Dylan was horrified, because she just stood there, petrified, as the harpy swooped down and slashed her sword across Dylan's arm, creating a wound two inches wide and was oozing green. I knew immediately that it was poisoned. And stupid me, I didn't defend her. Until a vine, I think, sprouted out of nowhere and killed the harpy. We all stared in surprise as the ten-foot long plant recoiled and shrunk back in to the earth. Then, I saw Dylan, who passed out already and ran to her side. "Annabeth, Percy, get over here and help me! Dylan's passed out!"

It took us a long while to get Dylan to the infirmary, get her stuff there (because she looks like she might be staying there for a while), explain things to Chiron d ask somebody to watch over her dog (yes, I care _that_ much for her). (Katie Gardner from the Demeter cabin agreed to look after Peewee for a little while.)

Since everybody's busy, I had to take care of Dylan. I had to feed her ambrosia and nectar, and in three days' time, her natural color came back, her wound wasn't green anymore (thanks to some healing by Will Solace from the Apollo cabin) and she looked a lot better. She came to a few times, but was never strong enough to wake up fully. Then, one day, she finally woke up.

Dylan's POV

I woke up in a room with a blanket pulled to my chest. My mouth felt dry, I felt dizzy, and the room seemed to spin when I tried to sit up. "Just lie down. You need more rest." A voice said. "Nico?" I asked. Then, I saw his face looming over mine, full of concern. I laughed. "What?" he asked. "Look at yourself." I replied. He sighed. "Eat this." He fed me a yellow square. It tasted like my favorite dessert, mango float (just in case you don't know the dessert, it has layers of graham crackers, cream, and mangoes. Really heavenly.). "What is that stuff?" I asked. "Ambrosia. With just the right amount, it heals demigods, but too much of it will burn you up-literally." He replied. "So... how do you feel?" I sat up. Surprisingly, I felt better. "Better, I guess." I replied. "But my arm still feels sore." "Can you stand up?" Nico asked. In response, I slung my legs over to the edge of the bed. I stood up, but stumbled. I would've landed face-first on the floor if Nico hadn't caught me. "Careful." He said. I sat on the bed, and he sat beside me. I felt dizzy again, but I didn't want to lie down on the bed. Instead, I placed my head on Nico's shoulder. He seemed to be surprised, but he didn't pull away. "What happened back there?" I asked. "We're not regular humans, aren't we?" he drew in a deep breath. "The thing back there was trying to kill you. And, yes, we're not mortals. We're demigods. Half-god, half-human." Nico explained. I sighed. I was used to this kind of news. "So that explains the weird things I've been seeing." I muttered. "Who's your godly parent, then?" "Hades." He said simply. So that explains the dark clothing and the paleness. "Okay. So, who do you guess is mine?" I asked once again. "I don't know, but judging by what you did on the hillside, I'd say you're a child of Demeter." He replied.

Silencesilencesilence. I hate awkward silence. Then, for one moment, Nico's hand touched mine. His hand was icy cold, and he pulled away. "Um, sorry." "Can you take me outside?" I asked him. "Are you serious? You can't even stand up."

"I can when you're helping me."

He blushed. "Are you still dizzy?"

"Not anymore. But come with me just in case."

"Fine"

And with that, he helped me up and led me outside.

First, we talked to Chiron, who gave me my schedule.

Second, we checked out the strawberry fields.

And we toured the camp.

My tour ended on the beach, (which was beautiful, by the way.) where Nico and I rested. "I'd better take you back to the infirmary. You don't look so good again." And he was right. I felt dizzy, and my arm went sore again. "Do you still have ambrosia?" He nodded, and fed me half a square. I felt better, though I felt tired. "Going back is a good idea." Then, just as we stood up, a conch horn sounded. "Oh, man I forgot it's dinner time already! Come on, let's get you to the infirmary, then, I'll get your food."

And, on that happy note, I'm in the infirmary. Again. And Nico ran into a wall, disappeared, and came back 5 minutes later with big Macs.

For a few more days, Nico and I pretty much skirted around each other, got to know each other better, and in three more days, I felt like my normal self again. I was strong enough to leave the infirmary and into the Hermes cabin. Then one day, a weird thing happened. I was eating dinner when suddenly, everyone stopped and stared at me. I didn't know why, but when I followed their gaze, I saw a wheat shred over my head. When it disappeared, Chiron said. "Hail Dylan Green, daughter of the goddess Demeter."

Nico's POV

"Daughter of Demeter."

Whoa. So Dylan is the daughter of my dad's mom-in-law? Her mom is the goddess who's always trying to stuff my face with cereal? Who is always ratting her daughter out for marrying my dad? How am I supposed to ask her out now?

"Nico?" a voice behind me asked. "What are you doing here?"

I jumped. It was Dylan. A she's got Peewee with her. And she found me in the woods.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Nah. Just wanted to some alone time"

"Oh, okay." She said, turning around to go back.

"No! um, you can stay here if you like."

She sat down beside me. "So, the cutest guy in camp wants some alone time."

"Say what?" she called me cute. She called me CUTE!

"Oh, nothing. It's just that my dearest half-sister told me that you've dated almost each and every girl in this camp." She said, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

"True. But not everyone. For example, Annabeth. She can only be with Percy. And, I haven't dated you."

"Um, okay."

She was quiet for a long time.

"Say, you wanna go on you know, a date? Jump to Rome for food, go to the Smithsonian for a little bit of history?"

"Is this everyone's favorite son of Hades asking me out? By the way, how are we gonna do all those things?"

"It's simple. By shadow travelling. And for the first question, yeah, maybe I am." I said, smiling.

"Then this is me accepting."

She stared at me and smiled. I smiled back. Man, she looks even prettier in the moonlight. Prettier than Aphrodite's daughters (I would never say that out loud or else Aphrodite would blast me to shreds). Her dark hair falling over her shoulder, her eyes boring into my soul and her lips… I leaned forward, but she pushed me away. "Sorry, but for now, we're still friends. Pick me up after breakfast. My cabin. Oh, and you do get a consolation prize…" she leaned down and gave me a peck on the cheek. "See ya tomorrow, deadboy." Then, she walked away. I touched my cheek, where she kissed me. Then, it was time I got to my cabin for sleep.

Dylan's POV

Nico asked me out. Nico asked me out!

I burst in to my cabin, where my sisters Laurel and Rosie were chatting endlessly. ".Gods. Nico asked me out, guys!" my half-sisters stopped chatting abruptly and charged me like one of Aphrodite's daughters when they saw a really cute boy. Trust me; it'll wake you up real quick. "Really? Tell me everything!" Rosie said. So, I proceeded to telling them how Nico asked me out…in the woods! After telling them how he asked me, Laurel asked: "what are you gonna wear?" I went over to my bag at the side of my bed. Then, I pulled out black shorts, a checkered dress and brown flats. "See, I'm going to tuck in this dress since it's too short for me, and pair it with these brown flats. Cool, huh?" I slung the clothes over my bed. "I'm sleepy. Night, Dylan." Laurel and Rosie trotted over to their beds. I walked over to my sunflower on the windowsill. I touched the petals gingerly. I could've sworn it grew an inch taller and glowed with health. It was given to me when I moved into the Demeter cabin. I had no trouble taking care of it since I had a ton of free time. Then, I went to sleep.

Nico's POV

I woke up surprisingly early. I didn't know why, but maybe it was the fact that I was so psyched for our date. Since I can't go out or the cleaning Harpies would eat me, I decided to summon my sister's-Bianca's-spirit. I went to the summoning pit in the back of my cabin. I poured in a coke and tossed in a hamburger. I started to chant, and a few seconds later, the spirit of Bianca appeared. "Hello Nico. How's my little brother doing?" I stopped chanting to reply to my sister. "Good, I guess." "Any new girls asked out?" I was surprised that she asked that question. "Seriously, Bianca? But, yeah, I have. Her name's Dylan, daughter of Demeter. I took care of her last week when she got hurt while pursuing a Harpy." Bianca's form flickered, and I had to chant again. "Okay. Just don't go breaking hearts again." then I made the mistake of stopping the chant, and her form disappeared. I sighed, and plopped myself down on my bunk. I was alone, once again. Somehow, Dylan popped up on my thoughts. From the first time we met, to me taking care of her. I didn't tell about how I brushed the hair away from her face, how I told her not to die out on me (hey, I like her a lot! I don't want her to die!) In a few crucial moments (ask Will, he knows.). Then, I glanced on the clock. 6 a.m.! How fast time flies. Since the curfew is lifted at this time, I headed to the showers. (I know, I still have training, but I still need to shower, right?) The cold water stung my skin and cleared my thoughts. But still, Dylan managed to stay there. I finished up, since I knew there was no getting rid of her in my thoughts. I ate breakfast, trained for a little bit and showered again. I thought I was late but,Turns out, Annabeth helped her choose a weapon suited for her, so I guess she was busy too.

Dylan's POV

Hours before the date, Annabeth helped me choose a weapon. All of the weapons there were either too heavy or too light. Then, she took me to Chiron. "Chiron, did Demeter leave something special for Dylan?" Annabeth asked. "Matter of fact, she did. She gave me this." He replied, handing me a tube of lip gloss. "She said that someone special will come and claim that weapon. She also said that the one who will claim it will be powerful, more powerful than any of her children combined. It might be you, Dylan." All that was too much for me to handle. "Seriously? How am I going to fight with this tube of lip gloss? What am I gonna do? Slather them with strawberry flavored lip gloss to death?" "Child, uncap the tube and press the flavor seal." Chiron said patiently. I did, and the brush grew longer and longer until I held a three-foot long dagger in my hand, glinting in the sunlight. It fit comfortably in my hand, not too light, not to heavy. "Whoa." Was the only thing I can say. "Now, press the flavor seal again." Chiron said. I did, and it turned back into a tube of lip gloss. "Can I still use it as just a lip gloss?" I asked. "sure." Cool. Weapon of sheer death and can prettify my lips. A female demigod's essential need. I thanked Annabeth and Chiron, then headed to the showers and got dressed. Then, right after I slathered on some lip gloss, somebody knocked on the door.

Nico's POV

The door flew open just as soon as I knocked. And a girl stood before me, looking AWESOME. "Um, whoa, Dylan? Is that you?" " Oh, hi, Nico. I was just finishing up. Come on in." "Um, no, that's kinda camp rules."

"Then why are Annabeth and Percy in his cabin, all alone?"

"Yeah, that rule sorta went out of the window now, so yeah, I'm going in."

"Thank you very much, now sit there, on my bed, and wait for me."

"Whoa, this place looks like Persephone's garden."

"Alright, I'm done!"

"That's it?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

We both headed for the woods. "What are we gonna do here?" Dylan asked. "We're going to shadow travel. So, where do you wanna go first?" I replied. "Can you take us to the National Museum in the Philippines? It's kinda my favorite place on earth." I decided not to question that. "Get ready. And whatever you do, do not let go of my hand." I took her hand in mine and ran into a tree.

A few minutes later, we appeared in the front gates of a building. When we got inside, Dylan seemed to know what to do. She left her handbag, pulled out a camera and a phone, and wrote our names in a guestbook. "Let's go." I followed her toward a door that looked like it was fit for a senate hearing room. When we stepped inside, I had to catch my breath.

Inside was a few smaller paintings and one of the hugest that I've ever seen. It looked like it was painted to a wall. Above the painting, on a bronze plate, was written: SPOLIARIVM. "Wow. This is amazing!" "I know, right." Dylan said beside me. "This is the old Senate Building. They used this place a long time ago for, well, Senate hearings. I went here when I was 11, and a couple more times before we moved to New York. I fell in love with this place. The paintings tell me stories about the times that I didn't know. Amazing, isn't it?" her hand slipped back into mine. "Come on. There's a lot more that I want to show you." As we walked upstairs, there was one question that I couldn't help to ask: "How do you know so much about this place?" she sighed. "Nico, I'm half Filipina. I grew up here. I spent 11 years of my life here, in Manila. And I have to admit, I still miss this country." "Can you speak Filipino, then?" I asked her. "Correction, it's Tagalog. But, yeah, I do, still fluently. I can teach you some if you like." She replied. "Cool. Now, let's go." I replied.

An hour later, we were ready to go to the other building. Dylan showed me around, and by three o clock, we were ready to go back to camp. We ran into a wall, and were back in the woods. "I'm hungry. Whaddaya say, Italy? Pizzas, pasta whatever you like." I suggested. "nah. How 'bout the McDonalds 2 miles down the road?" she replied. "Stay here. I'll go get Big macs." I said, throwing a smile at her. She sat down at the tree's base. And I disappeared into an oak. 5 minutes later, I appeared beside Dylan and handed her the wrapped burger. "Thanks." Then I sat down beside her. "That was pretty amazing back there. Thanks for everything." I told her. "I know, right?" she replied. "And you're amazing." I smiled at her. I can't see clearly, but I know she's blushing. She swallowed the last of her burger and popped in a breath mint. I sat and finished my burger in silence for a few minutes. I asked for a breath mint (if I was going to kiss her, I don't want burger breath.). then she placed her head on my chest. "I had a blast." She whispered, but loud enough for me to hear. "Me too." I whispered back. Then she sat up. "But you forgot something."

"What?"

"This." And with that, she clasped her hands behind my neck. I leaned forward, closed my eyes, and when our lips touched, it was as if time stopped. Fireworks exploded behind my closed eyelids. I kissed a ton of girls before, but nothing like this. Oh. My. Gods. It's a spark!

When we broke away, Dylan remarked, "so… I guess it's official. Are we together now?" "Of course we are. Now, it's high time we did our regular camp activities."

So, that's it! How'd YOU like it? Love it? Hate it? Oh, please do tell me!


	3. I lead a quest

Chapter 3: I lead a Quest

Disclaimer: I don't own PJ&O. Period.

This story was set before TLH.

Dylan's POV

Visiting my favorite place on earth with the guy I like is a genuine experience, but kissing him in the woods? I feel like I've won the lottery!

Clang.

Annabeth's dagger collided with mine and skittered away to the middle of the field. Annabeth was showing me tricks and ways to fight with a dagger. A while ago, Percy taught me how to fight with a sword, so I can fight with any weapon. Archery with Chiron wasn't good, but it wasn't terrible, either.

"Alright, Dylan, that's it for today. See me again tomorrow. Now, you have tons of free time." Annabeth remarked.

Before I could even reply, Percy ran into the training area. "Hey Annabeth, Chiron called an emergency councilor's meeting. That includes you, Dylan. Looks like something's up."

The meeting was held in the big house rec room. There were 12 councilors, one for every cabin. Of course, Nico was there. He smiled as soon as I locked eyes with him but pulled away almost instantly. I walked in by myself, since I didn't want to ruin the little "moment" Percy and Annabeth were having behind me. I took the seat beside my half-sister, Katie. Then there was another face that I haven't seen before. She had frizzy red hair, a spray of freckles across her nose and wore a Harvard sweatshirt with jeans full of marker stains. "That's Rachel Dare our oracle." Katie said beside me, as if reading my thoughts. "Oh. Okay." I replied. Chiron stood at the edge of the table, in centaur form. He called our attention, because even with twelve demigods, you got a pretty chaotic room. I only got a glimpse of the room because when Nico's eyes met mine, I never would've wanted to pull away. But when Chiron pounded his hoof against the wooden floor, I knew I had to listen. "Campers, may I have your attention, please. Miss Rachel Dare has a new prophecy for us." I have never been so creeped out in my life. Rachel turned to me with glowing green eyes and green mist swirling around her. She spoke in an old voice, gripping my shoulders. This is exactly what she told me:

"Four shall go east

And be put to the test,

Withstand everything, that is the best,

They must free the captive,

Unleash power so great

Save the earth from great starvation."

Rachel collapsed, but two campers helped her to a stool in the corner of the room to rest. "Well. Another prophecy. This must mean you are offered a quest, young lady. Until we know what the prophecy means, you can-"Chiron was interrupted when a satyr burst into the room, breathless, saying, "Chiron, the Goddess Demeter is missing!"

I gasped. My mom was missing. Percy broke the silence by saying: "Grover, what do you mean by Demeter is missing?" "And dear, young satyr, how did you know that?" Chiron also asked. "H-Hermes was on the beach today and wh-when he saw me, he looked really troubled. He told me that Demeter was missing." Grover replied. I felt like somebody was poking my heart with a hot stick. I looked over and saw that my sister was about to cry. I felt my own eyes fill up with tears. I blinked to hold them back, because I felt Nico's eyes on me, staring at me, looking worried. "Well, Miss Green, you were chosen to lead this quest to rescue Lady Demeter. Who shall you pick to accompany you in this quest?" Chiron asked. I looked up. Nico gave me an encouraging nod. I looked at Percy and Annabeth. "Okay. Annabeth, I need you to come. You're our best strategist in this quest. Percy, I'll need you too." I said. "Got it." They both said. "You need one more." Chiron told me, as if I didn't know that already. I glanced at Katie, who squeezed my arm. "Okay. Nico? Wanna come?" I looked at him. He nodded. "Sure, Dylan." He said in an impossibly gentle voice. I never knew that a son of Hades could sound that gentle. "Now we must discuss the prophecy. The four is complete, and it is obvious that they'll be tested. But where should they begin their journey?" Chiron remarked. "Somewhere east of New York. If not in America, then maybe in a country." Said a guy whom I heard was Connor Stoll. "Maybe. Percy, will you be willing to drive?" Chiron asked. "Sure, Chiron." "We know now who the captive is, and still, what do those two lines mean?" Chiron asked. "Maybe if they free mom, she'll unleash power that'll save us all." Katie asked. "Good Point. The meeting is adjourned; the four of you shall leave on first light tomorrow." Chiron said. All of us stood up to resume our daily activities, but I headed down to the beach, since I had a ton of free time.

I buried my toes into the sand and stared at the water. "Are you okay?" a voice said behind me. I whipped around. Nico was there. "Oh, hey. Just wanted some time off, I guess. What's up?" I replied. "Can you believe this? You're going to lead a quest!" Nico said, sitting down beside me. "I can't believe this. I don't even know where to start. And my mom's gone missing. How am I supposed to lead you three without breaking down and freaking out? I can't do this." I ranted. Then I sighed and leaned against Nico's icy cold chest. "Dylan, look at me." He said, forcing me to sit up. He drew up my chin to look me in the eye. "You can do this. I'm here; I support you no matter what. You're amazing, and I know you can do this. I know we can find your mom. And you're going to lead us straight to where she is held captive and defeat any monster that comes our way. You can do this, I know you can." He wiped a tear from my cheek. "Okay." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. He pressed his lips to mine and everything felt better. I really did feel like I can do this thing. It was the best thing of having a son of Hades for a boyfriend. When we broke apart, he stayed with me until both of our free time was over. The whole time, my head was on Nico's chest. His skin was icy cold, but I didn't mind. I didn't mind the smell of death on him and the dark clothes. I could get used to this sort of thing every day. The conch horn sounded and before we knew it, it was already dinnertime.

I didn't want to go, but with some coaxing from Nico, I did. I let him drag me to my cabin so that I can assemble with my Half-sisters and Half-brothers before going into the dining pavilion. When we reached the place, I was careful to step over the crack [that Nico did, so I heard.] in the marble flooring. After the food was served, we did the usual thing, getting up and scraping a part of our dinner into the bronze brazier. As I tossed in a ripe strawberry, I prayed for my mom (where ever she was) to send me help and at least send me a sign as to where she is. We ate dinner, but there was no hard laughing or anything. I guess that they all heard the news.

At campfire, (yes, I had the guts to do that.) I sneaked off to go to the beach again, wanting to be alone. My prayers must have been answered because the air in front of my face shimmered, and suddenly, I was staring at a figure in green robes tied to a chair. Then there was horrid laughing from somewhere in the background. It was deep and scary, and the background was a cave. "Mom?" I asked the lady. "Yes, dear, it's me. I only managed to send this Iris-message because my keeper was dumb enough to put a freshwater spring and a few golden drachmas in here. My keeper is a Cyclops. His island is fading, and he thinks that kidnapping me is going to help revitalize this island. He targets to kidnap my _other_ daughter, Persephone, next. Please, Dylan. Be fast. You only have a week before this creep plans to marry me. And I know that you are dating Hades' son, Nico." Then she gave me this stern look. I blushed. "Do be careful." Then just like that, my mom was gone, and I was alone again. I had nothing better to do, so I headed back to the campfire. I didn't sing-along, but I did eat s'mores, my favorite comfort food. By the time campfire was over, I was ready to crash in bed. I fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, I woke up at 3 a.m. (I didn't know why, I only wake up between 7-9 a.m.), which was far behind my usual schedule. I took a peek out of my curtains and saw that the coast was clear. Since no one was there, I decided to comb the tangles out of my hair first, because by my guess, my hair looked like it had been a bird's nest. After five minutes of painful hair straightening, my hair went back to its natural form, thick and wavy. Just the way I like it. Now, when I peeked out, Annabeth, Percy and Nico were already out, and I did too. Me and Annabeth took a bath, got dressed and prepared our things in the big house (Evidently, Chiron was up, too.), and I made a mad dash toward my cabin to get my candies, potato chips and clothes. Then I saw a wad of cash on my bed and a note that said:

"Dear Dylan,

See, I gave this wad of cash to you, since you might need it on your quest.

I included a few drachmas, and remember: you have two weeks!

Good luck!

Demeter"

"Um, Thanks, mom." I said, looking up. I shoved a few extra clothes good for one week, a bag of potato chips, jellybeans, and a toothbrush. I included mints, a baggie of ambrosia, a canteen of nectar and a mini first aid kit, just in case. I headed down to the big house. We were all decked out in jeans, shirts and sneakers. We all had backpacks slung over our backs, full of demigod essentials. I had my lip gloss-dagger in my pocket, Annabeth and Nico had their weapons sheathed and fastened to their belts, and Percy had his lethal ballpoint pen in his pocket. At about four a.m., we were ready to go.

Chiron took us to the minivan that we're going to use for travel. Percy's driving; Annabeth took the shotgun seat (after a minute of yelling and fighting with Nico. Plus a bruise, since Annabeth gave Nico a good punch in the shoulder); and me and Nico got the back seat. "You okay there?" I asked Nico, who was rubbing the spot with a bruise. I gingerly placed my hand atop his. "Yeah, I'm fine. I get things like that often." He replied. I removed my hand, but when I placed it down, Nico took my hand. "You're gonna do great." He whispered, and then kissed my cheek. "Alrighty then. Looks like Chiron's minivan have a GPS, so we have no problem locating the place where Demeter is held. Dylan, any leads?" Percy asked. "Um, yeah. My mom said that she is being held hostage by a Cyclops, and that she was kidnapped in order to revitalize his island. Where do you think that is?" I replied. Annabeth and Percy paled. "Um, guys? What's up?" I asked. "I think I know." Annabeth replied. "Okay." I said, starting to get freaked out.

Not knowing that I fell asleep, I woke up at about an hour later, my head on Nico's shoulder. Then that was the time that things went for a wrong turn.

Suddenly, there was something that whizzed past my ear and impaled itself on the windshield. The windshield turned to shrapnel. I looked back. Another one flew past my head just as I ducked. "What are those things?" I asked Percy. "I'm not sure, but it does look like Manticore spikes!" Percy half-yelled, half-replied. "Of course they're Manticore spikes, Percy! Step on it!" Annabeth yelled back. Another one gashed Nico's shoulder, who cried out in pain. "Oh man! What the?" he cried, gripping his shoulder. "Where is it, exactly?" Annabeth screamed. "It's in a van behind us. We have to lose it!" Percy replied. "No! Slow down! I have an Idea!" I yelled. "Slow down? Are you crazy?" Annabeth bellowed back. "Annabeth, she does have an idea." Percy said, decreasing speed. Apparently, the van did too, to avoid slamming into our ride. I had to get all my willpower to focus on plants, greens and wheat shreds, and all that thinking did not fail me, since a ten-foot tall root sprang out of nowhere, right on a New York highway. Wait… correction, a _deserted_ New York highway. Successfully, it wrapped around the van. When I commanded the root to go back to wherever it came from, the van was crushed, and hopefully, the Manticore, whatever that is, was gone. Percy stepped on the accelerator, trying to get away from the van as far as possible. Nico groaned, forcing me to put my attention to him. "Oh, right." I said, reaching for the ambrosia in my backpack. I fed a square to Nico, gave him a sip from my canteen of nectar, and bandaged the wound. "Don't worry, the poison only causes pain, not death." Percy remarked, obviously trying to make Nico feel better. "Gee, thanks. I feel really good about that." Nico replied sarcastically, still clutching his shoulder. "Oh, Dylan, the wound still needs to be cleaned." Annabeth pointed out. "Yeah, I'll take care of it." I replied. I snapped my fingers, and a tiny sprig of a plant wrapped around the bandaged wound. Nico winced, but he held still. I snapped my fingers again after a minute, and by then, the poison was out of the wound, and the plant was gone. "Whoa. Thanks." Nico said. "Now, what about the windshield?" I asked. "Yeah, about that… do you know where we can swap cars?" Percy asked. "Heck, yeah! Drive on over to my dad's loft. I'll bet that he'll lend us a car." I replied.

About thirty minutes later, we arrived at my dad's, and just my luck, he's still here. I rapped on the doors. "Dad? You there?" I opened the door for just a crack. I stepped in. "In here, sweetheart." Was the faint reply. "Alright, come on in." I told my friends, and led them inside. I went to the kitchen and saw my dad, Bobby (my little brother) in his high chair, and aunt Carly, my dad's girlfriend, having breakfast. "Dylan! Where've ya been?" aunt Carly asked. "Hey there! I've been to…." I saw my dad's expression and changed what I was supposed to say. "…somewhere, but let's not go there." I replied. "Any guys lately?" she asked, raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow. I blushed. Then I looked at my dad. "Um… yeah. His name is Nico di Angelo." My dad sighed. "So, what's up?" he asked. I walked over to Bobby and picked him up. "Dad, we need a car." I replied. "A car?" he repeated, his eyebrows shooting upward quizzically. "Yeah, a car. Do you have anything travel-friendly?" I asked. "I do have a coaster." He replied, and then hesitated. "Show me who's driving." I led my dad to the living room where Percy, Annabeth and Nico were seated. "Dad, this is Percy. He's driving." I said, motioning to Percy. I gave Bobby to dad and turned to face him. "So? What now?" I asked. "Alright," my dad said, reaching for his keys. "Take the coaster." He handed the keys to Percy. "Thank you, sir." Percy said. "Is it okay if it gets destroyed?" I asked. My dad looked surprised. "Um, okay... Now get going." He replied. They all stood up and headed out. "Bye dad. Bye bobby." I said, giving Bobby a kiss on the forehead. Then I walked over to the door.

About an hour after we took the coaster, Percy said, "Hey, I'm hungry. Who else wants burritos?" "Oh, look. A convenience store. Let's stop over." Annabeth said, pointing to the brightly lit store.

After we took to-go burritos, we headed to the car, except…. Nico. He was too busy flirting with the girl at the checkout counter, [whose name was Annika] to notice us leaving. "Let's go." I said, giving a cold look at them. Annabeth and Percy agreed, but didn't say anything. We walked over to the car. Percy revved up the engine and took off, leaving Nico behind, yelling "Hey, wait up!" angrily. Seconds later, Percy went around the parking lot before going back to Nico. When he stopped, Nico yanked the door open, his face red from anger. "What the heck was that about?" he asked, getting in and slamming the door angrily. "Oh sorry, we didn't want to cut your flirting with Annika short." Annabeth shrugged. "What about you, Dylan? Why didn't you call me? I thought you were my girlfriend?" He said, staring at me, anger bubbling in his eyes. "I thought the same thing, but when I saw how much fun and romance you were having, I didn't want to ruin it." I stared back, my breathing getting heavy. "Oh yeah? Maybe I shouldn't have followed you anyway! I should've let you die instead of taking care of you in the infirmary!" he yelled back. "Maybe you should, so you can date anyone you like!" I bellowed, staring Nico down. "You're a jealous freak of nature!" he yelled, and that was the last straw. "I'm not! You don't know what I've been through, Nico di Angelo. You. Don't. Know." I replied. This time, Nico and I were face-to-face. I can't stand this anymore. "Percy, stop the car. I want to change seats with Annabeth." I said. Seeing the anger in my eyes, Percy stopped the car and Annabeth and I swapped seats.


	4. Nico's Nightmare and Doubled Problems

Hey, hey! Sorry for the update that seemed to take, like, FOREVER! Stay tuned for more chapters, and BTW, thanks for the reviews!

So, here's the long-awaited for chapter… and remember, R&R!

Chapter 4: Nico's Nightmare and Doubled problems

Nico's POV

I can't believe that Percy, Annabeth and my supposed girlfriend, Dylan, nearly left me while I was _talking_ to Annika, the pretty blonde at the checkout counter. When I got there, I got into a face-off with Dylan. Then, she and Annabeth swapped seats. As soon as the front door slammed closed, Dylan turned her back on me. I could've sworn I heard sniffling from the front seat. I pretended not to notice the drops of water gathering on her jeans. After all, she was the one who didn't call me. But wait. Come to think of it, I _was_ flirting with the girl at the counter. I don't know what possessed me to do that. I can't believe I'd say this again, but I'll admit: I have turned into a world-class jerk to Dylan. And I'll have to make it up to her as soon as possible.

Dylan's POV

As soon as I slammed the door closed, I let the tears spill over. I had to do it quietly, so that the world-class jerk doesn't know that I'm crying. I just can't believe that he did this to me. Just then, I sensed something powerful. It was at the clearing of trees at the side of the road. I poked Percy's arm. "Hey, Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Pull up over there."

"Why?"

"Because I sense something. Something strong. It may be a clue as to where my mom is held."

"Okay."

Percy cut through three lanes of cars and parked midway through the road that led deeper into the woods. We got out, went farther through the woods, and it wasn't long when we heard hissing sounds. "Um… what was that?" I asked, looking around. Seconds later, four, um, I don't know, _humanoids_? Yeah, humanoids jumped in our way. They had double snake trunks for legs, and in the upper half, which was female, might have been beautiful if they didn't have snake eyes and forked tongues. Four of them, four of us, I thought. This should be fun. Then, we charged.

I just vaporized my _dracaena_, when things started to go wrong. I heard Nico grunt, and when I looked over, he was lying flat on the ground, his dark eyes filled with horror. The _dracaena_ raised her dagger to impale Nico. I couldn't let that happen now, right? As much as I hate him right now, I still like him. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. So, I screamed "No!" and bolted forward, but I was too late. The dagger plunged into Nico's side, and he cried out in pain. Anger bubbled inside me. Fast as lightning, I stabbed the _dracaena_ in the back and she immediately turned to dust. I rushed forward to Nico's side. He was gripping the part where the _dracaena_ stabbed him. Annabeth and Percy started to run to Nico, but I stopped them. "Run to the car and get my backpack. Go!" I told Percy and Annabeth. I ran to Nico's side. As soon as Percy and Annabeth bolted towards the car, I got up all my willpower and talked to Nico. I forced him to take his hand off of the wound, push his shirt up (which was soaked with blood.), and I nearly fainted. "God, Nico, why didn't you tell me that the dagger was poisoned? I could've taken on that monster myself!" "I didn't want you to get hurt. I know that you're a powerful demigod from the moment I met you. That's why so many dangerous monsters are attacking us." He replied weakly, and then winced. "I'm sorry I did that to you. I didn't know what possessed me to flirt with that girl. I'm really sorry." "Oh, come on. You're not dying, and this is no time for last words, Nico di Angelo. Now, hold still." I told him. Then, I summoned the grass around Nico to wrap around his waist and clean out the poison. When the grass pulled back, he was still bleeding, but minus the poison. The grass even glowed with health. "Oh my Gods. How did you do that?" He asked, trying to sit up and winced. Percy burst into the area where we were. Percy tossed me my backpack. I pulled out bandages. "Who knows how to bandage a wound?" I asked, but no one answered. "Alright, looks like I'll be doing it by myself." I muttered. Nico took his shirt off, and I have to admit, I got pretty distracted, but I quickly shook out of my daze. I think Annabeth sensed something, and told Percy, "Come on, Perce. Let's get my backpack. I think I brought along some food." "But-"Percy tried to protest, but Annabeth cut him off. "Come on." She said, tugging at his hand. Percy finally agreed, following Annabeth, who gave me a wink just before they vanished in the trees. I started wrapping the white bandage around his waist. I didn't feel awkward at all seeing him shirtless; since I've seen my guy cousins like that. (Trust me, when you live in the Philippines and its summertime, you'd really want to go like that.) "So… I can't wear that shirt again, can I?" he asked, once I finished bandaging his wound. (Which was a half-inch deep, by the way.) "'Course not!" I said, and then reached for my pack. "What, so you gonna make me wear your clothes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "No. I snuck into your cabin and took a shirt of yours, just in case." I pulled out a black shirt and tossed it to him. He slipped it on and said, "Nicely done." And then smiled. He was sitting up now. He motioned me to sit beside him and I did. Then, he took my hand. We held hands for a few seconds, and then he remarked, "You were amazing out there. She could've had a second strike if you didn't vaporize that _dracaena_. I would've died if it weren't for you." He smiled at me and I suddenly had an interest in my sneakers. "I couldn't let you die out t, can't I? I would never forgive myself if something happened to you." I replied. "Thanks. For everything. And I'm sorry that I hurt you back there." He said. I smiled. Everything was perfect, holding hands in the woods, all alone. We stared at each other for a while, and in between all that staring, I'm not gonna deny that I was tempted to lean in and kiss him, but I downsized the liplock to a peck on the cheek. I had to save it for the end of the quest. Then Percy and Annabeth came back with four packs of sandwiches and four canteens of water. "Lunch time." Percy said, and then smiled.

Nico's POV

Dylan is amazing. She's cute, she's brave, she's caring, and she's everything I could ever wish for. She even saved my life. We all devoured our sandwiches when I started to feel weak. Dylan was sitting next to me, and I guess she sensed that, because she pulled out a bag of ambrosia and shoved it into my mouth. I've never felt better. And when we stared at each other, I have to admit, I was tempted to kiss her, but somehow, I knew had to save it for the end of the quest. She even said that she won't let me die. Once we finished eating, of course we had to get on the road. It was a long walk back to the car, but I made it with the help of Dylan. The cut was sapping up my strength, and I was getting tired. Luckily, we reached the car just as I felt the urge to faint. I seated myself to the back seat with Dylan beside me. "You okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "I'm fine. I just need rest… and half of ambrosia square." I replied. In response, she handed me a pillow, pulled out a bag of ambrosia, broke one in half and fed it to me. I felt better, but I still needed some sleep. I made myself comfortable, and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I dozed off. That's when a nightmare entered my brain.

I was standing in a cave. I felt hot and humid, and there was a figure in green robes sitting on a rock. I turned around and behind me, a huge rock, covered in a combination of wheat shreds, tree branches, roots and thick vines. The figure cursed in Greek. "Polyphemus plans to marry me in a week! And I can't escape! I'm getting weaker and weaker everyday. And the island is getting revitalized using my power. Oh, I hope Dylan's on her way now." The woman said, who I already guessed is the Lady Demeter.

Then, my dream changed. I was at the underworld palace of my dad, with Queen Persephone beside him. My dad, Hades, paced the floor nervously. "Persephone, what if they get you? I can't just let you get out of the palace gates and interfere with Nico's quest." He said. "It's my mother we're talking about. If I don't go out and search for her, the world can suffer great hunger, you know." She replied. "Of course I know. Let's just let Nico and his friends save your mother." Hades said, obviously agitated. Persephone shrugged. "Fine. I'll go to my garden." She replied, getting up from her throne. Walked out of the room. A few minutes passed when a hair-raising scream echoed throughout the whole underworld. Cerberus started to bark, and when my dad looked out the palace balcony, he was too late. Persephone was gone, and he didn't have a chance to stop it.

Cliffy, right?


	5. Attacked

Hi! Sorry if the last chapter is too short, I promise to make it up to ya'll… So here it goes, Chapter 5!

Oh, and BTW, Thanks so much to all the readers who reviewed. Please, do keep reviewing, since Reviews are my motivation to push through with all this ↓.

Chapter 5: Attacked

Dylan's POV

Night came. We were still up, and it was in the middle of the night. I felt my own eyelids drooping, add in the fact that my iPod was playing songs that were meant for sad/emo days. (Those days are **very** rare. Trust me. ) in frustration, I stopped listening to it, and placed it in my bag. (I had no more songs to play; I've listened to them all. Ugh.) "Come on, Dylan, you're not a machine, get some sleep." Nico, who was now awake, said. "Jeez, Nico, you sound like my dad!" I replied with a giggle. "Whoa, not a good sign." He remarked, his cheeks tainted pink. "S'okay. I do feel a tad sleepy. But I'm not ready to go to sleep yet. I can stay up as late as possible." I said with a sly smile forming on my lips. He smiled back, but suddenly winced, and his hand flew to his side. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Oh, man. It hurts again!" "Here," I said, handing him half of the ambrosia. Slowly, his face started to relax. "Thanks." "Glad I could help." I replied, starting to smile…. Again. I broke away from his dark eyes, since I was starting to blush. "Okay. Perce, where are we?" I asked. "I don't know. This road never seems to end." He replied, yawning. "Alright, pull over and hand me the wheel. Get some sleep." Annabeth said, obviously concerned for her boyfriend's 'well-being' (Whoa.) and whatnot. Percy didn't argue, and pulled over to the side of the road. They swapped seats, and Annabeth handled the wheel. Percy passed out on the front seat and began murmuring in his sleep, but I guess that's normal for demigods.

Nico fell asleep an hour later. "Go on, Dylan, I know you're tired. And it's 1 a.m." Annabeth told me. I didn't say anything, but I took a pillow from the back and got comfy in the backseat. I fell asleep almost instantly, and it wasn't long when those stupid demigod dreams found me.

I was looking in the Big House rec room, where Chiron and Rachel were obviously discussing a huge topic. "But Chiron, this is important. And dangerous. My prophecies never go wrong!" Rachel, said, agitated.

Chiron pondered this deeply, stroking his bushy beard. "And what did the Lord Apollo say?"

"He said that something went wrong, like someone's trying to control the prophecy. It certainly didn't say anything about Persephone being kidnapped right inside Hades' palace."

"Do you have another prophecy?"

"Well, no." at that, Rachel shivered, and when her eyelids opened again, they were green. I've seen this before. I thought it was a prophecy, but boy, was I wrong. Rachel stared at my dream-self and spoke in a voice that wasn't hers.

"_Change course heroes! You are being fooled! Do not take this lightly! Free me! Free me!"_ then, Rachel crumpled in a heap, my eyes flew open and I sat bolt upright.

"Whoa, Dyls, what happened to you?" Nico said beside me. I was surprised he was up this early. I checked the time on my phone. 4 a.m. I only had two hours of sleep. It was _this_ early, and I was already faced with a ton of problems. Percy was still passed out, but I still had to spill the beans, so we can change course early. "Guys, I have to tell you something." I said, still finding it hard to breathe. "I'm listening." Nico said, and Annabeth nodded at me through the rearview mirror. "See, I had a dream. It's about this quest, and something went wrong." I told them about Rachel and Chiron. "And then, Rachel spoke in a voice that certainly wasn't hers. She said to change course." Annabeth was so surprised that the car suddenly stopped, Percy woke up (he was nearly thrown to the windshield) and Nico and I had to peel our foreheads from the car covers. "Ow." I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "What?" Annabeth shrieked. "We've gotten this far east, and you want us to change course? Are you nuts?" "Well, she did say not to take matters lightly." I replied calmly. "Fine." Annabeth did a sharp turn (Since no other car was there.) and stepped on the accelerator. We were all pinned down to our seats (well, except Annabeth). She didn't slow down until she entered a highway full of cars. She slammed on the brakes once more, and I had to cling to the seat to avoid being thrown to the front of the van. "So, Percy. Wanna drive?" she asked him, who was wiping saliva off of his cheek. "And you still drool when you sleep." She muttered. Percy nodded meekly, turning a light shade of pink.

"So. Where are we headed?" Percy asked, once he got behind the wheel. "My guess? West." I replied with a shrug. "That's it? No specific places?" Annabeth asked, her forehead creasing in confusion. "No. can sense powerful forces like that of Demeter and Persephone. So we keep going until something like that comes to me. Simple." I said. "Hey, I'm hungry. Who else is?" Nico spoke up beside me. In response, I made a pomegranate appear in my hand (when you're a daughter of Demeter, you can do anything using plants.) and tossed it to Nico. (Ha, the irony!) "Haha. Very funny." He said sarcastically, but he did eat the fruit. We entered a pretty quiet road, but that all changed when I heard _thumping_ behind us. I whipped around and saw a glint of something _huge _and_ golden_ behind us. Then, a few seconds later, it came to full view. It had the body a lion, and the head of a woman. It ran after the van. Percy's green eyes met mine, and for a second, I knew what we were supposed to do. We had to fight it, no matter what. "The Sphinx!" Annabeth screamed. "How'd she get out of the Labyrinth?" "I don't know, maybe she died but re-formed!" Percy yelled back.

"She can't re-form that fast!"

"She looks pretty weak to me!"

Percy was right. She didn't look like she could trample a whole village. She didn't look that good, and I'd like it to stay that way, honestly. She was covered in dozens of cuts. Percy stopped the car. "What are you doing?" Annabeth yelled. "We'll get killed!" "No. this ends now." Percy said, drawing riptide and getting out of the car. Nico and Annabeth unsheathed their weapons. I activated mine. "Nico?"  
>"Yeah?"<p>

"Are you sure that you can fight?"

"Course!"

"Just checkin'"

We all slipped out of the car and faced the monster. _She isn't even full-sized._ I thought. Then, we charged.

I was the first one to get close to its paw. I slashed at its leg, then planted my dagger down its paw and pulled it out fast enough before she howled in pain and glared down at me, her eyes filled with absolute hate. When she raised her paw, I made the mistake of clinging to it. Next thing I know, I was on her back, hanging on for dear life while she thrashed around, with something (or someone) inflicting really huge and really deep cuts. Minutes later, that something was revealed. It was Percy, and he was holding his (bloodied) sword. He surprised me so bad that I nearly fell off of The Sphinx's back. "Whoa, dude, how'd you do that?" I asked, once I steadied myself on the monster's back. He smiled at me and held up a blue Yankees cap. I smiled back, and we bumped fists. "That is so cool." I said. "I know, right? Now, let's turn this thing into dead meat." He replied, with a glint in his eyes that freaked out a little part of me. His sword plunged into the monster's back, with a cut that probably reached her spinal cord, if she had any (of course she had it. I'm so stupid sometimes.). "Would you care to do the honors?" Percy said, with a devious smile. "I would love to." I replied, smiling back at him. My dagger sank into the monster's back, only a few inches away from where Percy had stabbed her. In one swift motion, the two cuts became one, and the Sphinx turned into a huge pile of dust. I lost my balance on top of the dust pile Percy and I were standing on, and the next thing I know, I was sitting on something cold, and that _**something**_ was Nico. I was flat on my butt on his back, and if I don't stand up now, I might break his back. I immediately stood up. "Ooops. Sorry." I said, offering a hand to Nico. His icy cold hand took mine, and he groaned when he stood up. "Man. What have you been eating?" He asked, rubbing his sore back. I blushed. Then, I saw blood starting to show on his shirt. I let out a muted gasp. He cried out in pain and gripped his side. "Oh no. I am so sorry. Come on, my backpack's in the car." I said, starting to help him head to the car. Percy and Annabeth were still busy cleaning up all that was left behind of the Sphinx; so once again, I was alone with Nico.

Nico's POV

God, I'm so stupid sometimes. I saw her lose her balance on top of the pile and fall, but I didn't move away. Next thing I know, Dylan was sitting on my back. She was a lot heavier than she looked. I felt my wound bleeding, and being the caring girlfriend that she was, she started to dress the wound. I couldn't help but stare at her face, but I was really drawn to her lips. It was a beautiful shade of pink, but she wasn't wearing any makeup. She could easily pass for a daughter of Aphrodite. Anyway, when she finished bandaging my side, (I didn't know what possessed me to do this) I gripped her shoulders and pressed her lips onto mine. I felt her shoulders tense up, but a split-second later, her arms wrapped around the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. When she broke away, her cheeks were tinted pink. "What'd you do that for?" she asked, tilting her head to the right, making my stomach churn, which I thought was odd, since I never felt that way around her now that we're an "us". I let out a sigh from my lips. "I just wanted to thank you." I replied, staring into her dark eyes. She smiled. "Well, then," she replied, inching towards me and planting a kiss on my cheek. "You're welcome." There it was again. That adorable smile. God, what does this girl have that other girls don't? The caring-ness? That nicely tanned skin? Her ability to make me melt? Her fierceness when she gets angry? WHAT? I snapped out of it. I suddenly realized that: One, I was staring at Dylan longer than I thought. And Two, I was still shirtless. I grabbed my slightly blood stained shirt and slipped it on. By now, Percy and Annabeth were already in the car (which, fortunately, had been spared from the Sphinx attack.) "Dylan, you have to limit your phone usage." Annabeth scolded. "One more call, and we'll be tasty demigod treats for monsters." "Oh. Okay." Dylan replied, slightly blushing. "So, what now?" "It's simple. We keep going." Percy said, starting the engine.

We finally got our first full meal just as we entered New Jersey. As soon as Annabeth spotted the diner, she demanded Percy to pull over, her gray eyes looking wild and hungry. Dylan's stomach started growling, and so did mine. Percy finally consented, and asked, "So, who's got the money?" Dylan smiled and pulled out a wad of cash. "Okay… Now that that's taken care of, we eat."

I was surprised that the girls can scarf down their breakfast/lunch even before me and Percy did. Then, we still had money, so we decided to buy chips, candies and bottled water for the remaining days of the quest. Then, we got back on the road.

Dylan's POV

Things were going quite well until my stupid senses started tingling when we passed a deserted-looking flower shop. I tapped Percy's shoulder. "Hey."

"What?"

"Pull over there"

No more questions were asked as we got out of the car. We were immediately greeted by a perky young lady. She was pretty, I guess, had blue eyes, flowing blonde hair and slightly tanned skin. "Hi! Can I help you?" she asked, with a twinkle in her eyes. "Um, can we just get a good look around?" I replied. "Sure! Just call me when you need anything." She said, happily walking back to wherever she came from. Nico gulped. "Why?" I asked. He pointed outside, where a burly-looking man kept looking at us suspiciously. He had a large straw hat pulled low over his eyes, so we can't really see if he's a monster or a mortal. But, apparently, he had a good view of us from underneath his hat. He seemed to notice me studying him and walked away. I shook it out of my head. "Okay. Should we split up?" I asked. "Normally, splitting up is a very bad idea, but if we want to get a better view of this place, we have to." Annabeth replied. "And unfortunately, I speak from experience." She added, glancing at Percy. "So. Who's gonna be together?" I said. "How 'bout me and Nico, then you and Annabeth?" Percy suggested, looking at our group. "Okay. Come on Annabeth." I replied. "Wait a sec." She replied, walking over to Percy and planting a peck on his lips. I rolled my eyes and took a glance at Nico, who was making a face at Annabeth and Percy's little 'moment'. Then, he smiled at me. _Couples._ He mouthed to me, and in response, I made a face and mouthed _I know, right?_ He mustered a small laugh, and I remembered that we were one, too. "Alright. Break it up, you two. Come on, Annabeth." I said, tugging at the back of Annabeth's shirt. Thankfully, they _did_ break it up. Annabeth threw a little smile at Percy. He smiled back. I pulled Annabeth's shirt one more time. "This is so not the time for PDA." I muttered as Annabeth and I walked away from the boys. "What was that?" Annabeth asked. "Oh, nothing." I didn't want to start a fight with Annabeth, so I just let it slide. Then I heard a muffled cry. I locked eyes with Annabeth. We bolted towards the sound. We ended up in a field out back where sunflowers grew as tall as me and Annabeth. We followed the sound and turned out in the middle of the field where a woman was bound and gagged. She had flowing black hair and beautiful brown eyes. She still wore her elegant white dress, which was now stained with dirt and mud. Persephone. "That easy?" I asked Annabeth. "No there's a catch." Annabeth said. Suddenly, Lady Persephone's expression changed. Her eyes popped open wide and she was shaking her head. A tall shadow loomed over us. My breathing tightened. I didn't even want to look behind me. I turned around, (Someone screamed.) Then, everything went black.

Nico's POV

The hairs on my arms stood straight up when I heard someone scream. Percy didn't even wait for me, he bolted towards the sound. I followed him until we ended up out back, where sunflowers grew abundantly (wow. Big word). We tore through dozens of flowers, until we reached an open area, surrounded by flowers where a figure lay almost lifeless on the ground. My heart stopped before restarting again. That figure was Dylan, and her forehead was bleeding. Annabeth was probably nearby, and that was when I noticed it. A Cyclops. He held a huge wooden cudgel, His back was to me and Percy, so hopefully, he won't see us attack. Something zoomed past me and inflicted a cut on the Cyclops's leg. He roared in pain and whipped around to see who stabbed him. That was when he saw me and Percy, and his eyes gleamed with hatred. He raised his cudgel to crush us, but in the last minute, we ducked to avoid his 'weapon of mass destruction', which left a mark on the soil the size of a truck. "Nico, get Dylan!" Percy yelled, slowly moving to a woman huddled in the corner, hoping that the Cyclops wouldn't notice him. I dragged Dylan out of the way, and joined Percy. "Go! Help Annabeth! I'll take care of her!" I said, running to where they were. As I got closer, I noticed that the woman had dark hair and brown eyes, and that's when it hit me: she's Persephone. We've found her.


	6. Another one?

Ayo! Yeah, sorry for the update that seemed to take, like, forever! It's because of the weather condition here in the Philippines, you know, a storm making its way towards my country. I can't work on my laptop in the midst of a thunderstorm, can't I? So, here it is, Chapter 6. (Do let me know if it was worth the wait by reviewing. Thank ya!)

Chapter 6: Another one?

Nico's POV

Persephone. We found Persephone (I mean, Dylan and Annabeth found her). All I needed to do was cut the ropes that bound her hands and feet. Then we could get the hell out of here. Once she was free, another person started working on the Cyclops. I squinted to get a better view of him-or her. Then, I saw her. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the girl out front. She was armed with a sword, and had stabbed him in the leg. "What-"I started, but Persephone cut me off. "She's also a demigod. A daughter of Hermes." "Um, okay." I replied. "Get Persephone out of here!" somebody yelled. With a start, I realized that the girl said it. "NOW!" I didn't need convincing; I helped Persephone to her feet and led her out. I opened the car, [gently] pushed her inside and bolted back to the sunflower-filled battlefield. I ran into the girl as I set foot on the soil. "Get your girlfriend and your friends. I have a plan." She told me. I pushed past her and ran as fast as I can. I grabbed Dylan's unconscious body and picked her up, bridal style. "Percy! Annabeth! Get out of there!" I yelled, and I was glad that they understood. Percy gave the Cyclops one more stab and bolted out. I led the way and soon heard thumping. The Cyclops was chasing us. We picked up the pace and soon reached the car. Percy and Annabeth jumped in the two front seats, Percy started the car and we took off. I was stuck in the farthest part of the van with Dylan, and Persephone and Hermes' kid got the middle part. To my surprise, she was holding a jar of thick, green liquid. Greek fire. She saw the Cyclops still pursuing us, opened the door and hurled the jar as far as she could, and thankfully, the jar of pure destruction exploded against the Cyclops's chest, turning him to dust. We were all breathless. I snapped to Dylan's aid. I grabbed my backpack, pulled out a square of ambrosia and placed it in Dylan's mouth. But she still had that wound on her head. I adjusted her position so that her head was resting on my lap. She was lying down now. As soon as the ambrosia melted in her mouth, the color came back to her face and she stopped bleeding, but she was still unconscious. A few minutes later, her breathing steadied. Another thirty minutes later, her eyes fluttered open. "What-"she started to say. But, I cut her off by feeding her another ambrosia square. "Thanks." She said, and started to sit up. Then, she started to massage her temples. And groaned. She set her head on my shoulder for support. "So. What do we do now?" Hermes' kid said. (Oh, BTW, I learned that her name was Lexie) "You will go to camp, and we will take Persephone to the underworld." I replied. She shrugged indifferently. "Fine. Not like I want to tag along this quest anyway. Drop me off in the next bus stop." "Okay… do you even know where you're gonna go?" Percy asked. "Heck, yeah. Long Island New York. That's where Camp Half-Blood is, right?" She replied. "Alright. Here's your stop." Percy said. She grabbed her backpack, opened the door and got out. She did a little salute to us. "Bye."

"Now that other matters are taken care of, who's gonna go with me to the underworld?" I asked. Dylan raised her hand.

"I will." She replied.

"What? What about your head?"

"Oh psh, I'm fine. Just a bit of ambrosia and nectar will do the trick."

"You sure?"

"Heck, yeah!"

"Tough girl. Okay."

She smiled at me. "You do realize that I'm gonna meet your dad." "I'm fine with that. As long as it's you." I replied, smiling back at her. I took her hand. "You do know that you're in the presence of a goddess, don't you?" Persephone said, rolling her eyes. I sighed and let go. "I just realized one thing. If Demeter's my mom, and she's also Persephone's mom, then that makes Persephone my half-sister!" Dylan said. Persephone huffed indignantly. "Don't get your hopes up, missy. The godly side of your family doesn't count." "Well, whatever." Technically, saying 'whatever' to a goddess will get you blasted to bits, but I guess that Persephone was in a good mood today. "Percy, pull up there. We'll have to go to the underworld now." I said. "Shadow Travel, again?" Dylan asked. I nodded. "That's the only way."

We got out of the car and I started to work my magic. Dylan held my hand and Persephone clutched my arm during the whole trip. A few minutes later, we arrived inside the walls of Erebos. Persephone inhaled the smell of her garden. "Finally. I'm home!" jeez, I haven't seen Persephone so happy to be back in the underworld. She ran to the door of my dad's palace and pushed it open. Dylan and I followed closely. And finally, we arrived in the throne room. I saw my dad hug Persephone, which was weird for me because I haven't seen him do that. "Um, hi dad." I said, glancing up. I heard Dylan gulp beside me. "You'll be fine." I whispered in her ear. She nodded and breathed out a sigh of relief. "So. I see that you've brought your girlfriend along." My dad remarked, staring intently at Dylan. He sighed. "Very well. Thank you for bringing Persephone back. Now, can we get some alone time?" "Fine." I muttered under my breath. Then, we disappeared to my room.

As soon as we appeared in my room, Dylan flopped down on my bed. She grunted. "Sheesh, I've never been so nervous in my life!" I placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. That's good though. It seems like my dad is in a good mood." She shrugged and lay down on a pillow. She sighed. "I'm tired." She muttered. "Yeah, well you're not alone, kiddo." I lay down beside her and closed my eyes. "Nico?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not seriously thinking about sleeping here, aren't you?"

"Thinking? I'm doing already." I muttered sleepily. She gave up and settled down on the other side of the bed. (There are no other beds there. It's not like Hades and Persephone will have a child and let him share a room with me, right?) "Sweet dreams, Nico."

I'm pretty sure that I slept facing away from Dylan, and Dylan was sure that she slept with her back to me, so how, Exactly, did we end up in our position while we're asleep? Dylan was curled up against me, her head resting on my chest. My arm was draped over Dylan's waist, and Dylan's leg was hanging over my thigh. We both woke up with a start. "Um, good morning." She said, her cheeks bright red. "Oh, and Nico, you can let go of me now." I blushed and let go. She sat up, her cheeks still red. Her dark hair was still messy, but she still looked as cute as ever. We were still wearing our day-old quest clothes, and I knew that Dylan needed to change. She pushed me out of my room and turned it into a dressing room. When she finished um, refreshing herself, it was my turn. And in a matter of minutes, we were ready to leave the Underworld.

Imagine Annabeth's and Percy's shock when we suddenly appeared in the van. Percy suddenly hit the brakes. "Warning, much?" He said with a twinge of annoyance. I rolled my eyes. "Please. You knew that we were bound to suddenly appear here due to shadow travelling." "Then why did it take you overnight just to escort Persephone to the Underworld?" I don't know whose face was redder, mine or Dylan's. An amused smiled formed on Percy's lips. Jeez. "Okay. Don't you guys think it's strange that just two days after Persephone's disappearance, we immediately found her?" Annabeth remarked. "I don't know. Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?" Dylan replied. "We'll see."

**Meanwhile, at Camp Half-Blood…**

"I don't know, Travis. This just seems so _wrong_. I shouldn't have agreed to go with you two." Katie Gardner said nervously as she trailed behind the Stoll brothers. "Oh relax, Katie. It's not like something's gonna go wrong during capture the flag." Travis replied encouragingly. It was nighttime already and the trio waded deeper into the woods. It was Capture-the-Flag night and Katie got teamed up with the Stoll brothers. Just then, a shadow passed them. Connor and Travis seemed to notice it too, because they suddenly whirled around. "What was that?" Connor asked, his voice shaky. "I-I don't know." Katie replied, trembling. Katie's breathing was heavy. She knew that something was going to go wrong here. And she couldn't defend herself very well with an unbalanced dagger in her hand. _I seriously need to find a weapon._ She thought to herself. Suddenly, something hit her in the head. She collapsed on the ground as Travis cried out in pain and felt herself being carried off. _No._ She thought, before she finally blacked out.

Connor almost ran into Chiron. He's been running all over camp trying to find him, and here he is. "C-Chiron! Katie's gone!"

Dylan's POV

A peaceful ride (as peaceful as it can get) was interrupted by a simple ring of the phone. I picked up. "Hello?" "Dylan? Is that you?" a guy's voice asked on the other line. "Um, Yeah. Who's this?" I replied. "It's Travis Stoll. I think you ought to know what just happened."

Panic surged through my stomach as Travis delivered the bad news. "We've been searching the camp since last night and we still don't have any sign of her. I'm really worried, Dylan. Your cabin's not so good, either. The plants are starting to wither here." Travis let out a shaky breath. "I shouldn't have asked your sister to come with me." "It's okay, Travis. Don't blame yourself. Just keep searching there and we'll do our best out here, Okay?" I replied. "Okay, Dylan. Good luck." We both hung up. "Why? What's wrong now?" Nico said beside me. I took a shaky breath. "A camper's missing. And to be specific, it's Katie."

"What? We find one and then another disappears? How are we going to finish this quest?" Percy said. "I don't know, Perce. But I do have a feeling that Katie and Demeter are held in one place. And we have to find them, _pronto_." I replied. "What do we do now?" Annabeth asked. "It's simple. We still keep going."

For the rest of the ride, I stayed quiet. This 'double disappearance' really brought me down. Only one thing cheers me up: chocolate. What the others didn't know is that I secretly hid three bars of Hershey's chocolate. A great pick-me-up treat. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Ah, real joy. Nico stared wistfully at the bar of creamy happiness. "Want some?" I said, handing him the bar. He broke off a square and popped it in his mouth. "Thanks." He smiled. A closed-mouth smile that made me melt inside. I felt my face heating up. I broke away from his gaze, because I didn't want him to see me blushing. I looked out the window, at the cars passing by. I thought about back home, running down the block with Peewee. Getting puked on by Bobby. Somehow, my first date with Nico popped up on my train of thought. Holding hands in my favorite place on earth, eating big macs under a tree and kissing him in the woods. I felt blood rise to my face just thinking about it. Suddenly, someone kissed my cheek. "Nico, what now?" I asked, turning around to look at him. "Oh, come on. Cheer up." He said. "Oh, god how can I cheer up now that both my sister and my mom are missing? This is hopeless." I sighed and placed my head on his shoulder, tears blurring up my vision. I finally let them fall, after holding it in for so long. "Hey… it's okay," Nico said, putting his arm around my shoulders. "We're here for you, no matter what. We'll do whatever it takes to find Katie and Demeter." "Okay." I replied meekly. I shimmied away from his arm. _Gee, Thanks for the pep talk, Nico._ I mused sarcastically. _Really helped._ I don't remember falling asleep, but what I do know is that I had a horrible nightmare that just might help.

I was looking at the Hermes cabin. A guy in an orange camp shirt and jeans lay face down on a bunk. Somebody knocked on the door. "Travis? You in here dude?" I realized that the guy was Travis. His brother stuck his neck inside the cabin. "Connor, what're you doing here?" Travis replied. Connor shoved his hands in his pocket. "You still upset about Katie's disappearance?" Travis grunted and pulled a pillow over his head. Connor sighed and nodded. "Still have that crush on her?" Travis crawled out from underneath the pillow. Then, he nodded meekly, his cheeks tinted pink. "I don't know, man. I feel like I'm obliged to look for her, but I don't know where to start." Connor smiled. "Well, if it'll help, I'll wait for you in the woods."

A while later, Travis appeared at the entrance to the woods where Connor sat underneath a tree, arms crossed. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up" Connor said, starting to stand up. "Whatever, man. Let's just go." Travis replied. Then, my dream changed.

I was standing on a cliff, full of grass and different kinds of plants. I looked back and couldn't see the highway behind me. I studied the area some more and that's when I noticed a woman, with black hair and brown eyes, bound and gagged. A monster walked past me, wearing a tattered baby blue tux. He was carrying a small figure, with the same hair as me. He dumped the figure on the grass and I scrambled forward to get a look on the figure. As I saw the victim's face, anger, panic and horror surged through my stomach. The woman screamed in anger and the Cyclops laughed. The woman struggled to remove her gag, and said: "Polyphemus, you have gone over the top! I swear on the river Styx as soon as my daughter arrives, she will turn you into a giant bag of dust!" Polyphemus laughed some more and left Katie on the grass. As he walked away, I could still hear his horrible laugh, and I was still full of anger.

To be continued….


	7. Good news, Bad news & Sentimental Nico

Chapter 7: Good news, Bad news, and Sentimental Nico

Dylan's POV

I sat bolt upright in the van, breathing hard. I swear I still heard Polyphemus' laugh ringing in my ears. "What's wrong?" Nico asked beside me, his voice tinted with concern. I chose not to answer his question. Instead, I tapped Percy's shoulder. "Percy, can you drive on straight to Washington D.C.? I have a feeling that we don't need to look anywhere else anymore."

Nico's POV

_Washington D.C.?_ You've got to be kidding me! I remember Bianca and me as little kids, running away from monsters. The memory made me a little sad, but I'm on a quest! I can't afford to be all sentimental when a goddess and a camper are missing, right? I tried to block Bianca from my thoughts. _Shadows. Mrs. O' Leary. Training._ Anything to avoid her. But I couldn't. I don't usually cry in public, but the memories of her raising me by her own, running away from monsters without knowing and the feeling I had when she told me that she'd joined the hunters were making my eyes fill up and sting with tears. I blinked to hold them back. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dylan sneak a peek at me but didn't say a word. I didn't feel relieved, though. I know that she's gonna talk about it some other time, when Percy and Annabeth aren't here and not when the world stands at the brink of a great famine. I felt like the misunderstood eleven-year old again. With only ghosts to talk to, no real demigod/mortal friends. Hey, as tough as you might think I am, I have feelings too. I felt neglect back then. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders when I found out that Bianca was dead. Not until I tried living in Camp. (Though sometimes I still prefer my room in the Underworld) I felt like a normal (as normal as it can get) camper, all welcomed and not an outcast. Summoning Bianca's soul is not enough. I want her hug, her loving smile and the way she took care of me on her own. If she didn't join the hunters, she would still be waiting for me in our cabin. Heck, she might even tag along in this quest. But there's no turning back now. I'm thirteen already. She died three years ago. It was her decision, not mine. I have to accept the fact that it was her decision to go inside the Talos statue to save her friends. She'll still be the brave, loving sister that I always had.

I decided to stop the flashback. It was three in the afternoon, and we were now in Jersey City. "That would take four hours, if we drive on non-stop. We should arrive there by 7 p.m. Can we just stay here for the night and spare ourselves from finding a place to sleep in? There should be tons of hotels here." I said. "Yeah, but how about booking and paying?" Annabeth replied from the front seat. Dylan sighed from beside me. "I've got it covered." She said, whipping out her phone and the started dialing a number. Seconds later, she started talking to someone on the phone. Then a minute later, we were booked in someplace. Minutes later, we arrived at a nice-looking bed & breakfast place. I didn't want to suffer decoding what its name was, so I just walked in. Then I saw Dylan at the front desk. She was already holding two keys, and was listening as the woman at the front desk talked with someone on the phone. Her foot tapped the floor impatiently. "Mhhm... Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Green." The lady said. She hung up and handed Dylan a credit card. "Your father says that you are authorized to use his card." Dylan and The lady smiled at each other. "Enjoy your stay, Miss Green." "Thank you, Miss-" Dylan asked. "Margaret. Call me Margaret." She replied. "Thank you, Miss Margaret, for your consideration." Dylan's reply sounded rehearsed, and something's telling me that her smile's gonna melt off of her face as soon as she turned her back on the lady. I snickered, and Dylan stomped on my foot. Hard. "Excuse us." She said, turned around and marched outside. "Come on, Nico."

"What was that all about?" I said as soon as we made it past the door. She turned to face me. "I had to stop you from snickering, didn't I? Perce! Annabeth! Come on in!" she called.

"So. Who's gonna be roommates?" I asked, once we got in the elevator. "Me and Dylan. You and Percy. It's simple." Annabeth replied. Percy shrugged. I sighed. Dylan smiled. "Fine." I huffed. "Hey, can Percy and I use the car? We'll find dinner and get a road trip as well." Annabeth asked Dylan. "Uh, yeah, sure. You don't mind refilling the gas tank, too, don't ya?" Dylan replied, handing Annabeth the rest of our money. "And be sure to bring back whatever's left." "Gotcha." Annabeth said. Finally, the elevator doors dinged open. We followed Dylan down the hall, and finally stopped in front of two doors. She handed me the keys, and Annabeth and her disappeared into their room. Annabeth popped up in my room about 20 seconds later. "Perce, you ready?" She asked. "Yeah, let's go."

**Five Minutes Later…**

The door of my room burst open. Dylan marched in, a hand on her hip. "Alright. I know when people are about to cry, and I think you were back there. What's up?" I cursed silently in Greek. Then, I sat up and took a shaky breath. Dylan was plopped down beside me. "About three years ago, when I was ten, I had a sister. Her name was Bianca, and we were both in this sort-of military school. We were there until Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia, my demigod cousin, showed up to get us to Camp. Unknown to us, there was a monster watching us. Percy tried to rescue us on his own, but he himself got wounded. They were having trouble fending off the Manticore until Artemis and her hunters showed up. After the Manticore leapt off a cliff with Annabeth on his back, the hunters accommodated us for a while. Artemis asked Bianca to join the hunt, and that means she cannot take care of me anymore, since Hunters swear off boys once they join. Fast forward to when they got to camp, Artemis gets kidnapped by…" I hesitated. I took a deep breath and continued. "Atlas. Bianca got chosen to join the quest, and (as Percy told me) when they reached a desert, Bianca chose to go inside the Talos statue to save her friends." I took another shaky breath and blinked hard to keep the tears at bay. "And that's what cost Bianca her life." I took a peek at Dylan. She was so quiet the whole time I talked and didn't even interrupt or ask questions. "When Bianca died, I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I blamed Percy for her death. The only person who cared about me was gone. I tried getting her back, but I can't." This time, I didn't hold back the tears. I let them fall. I don't usually do this in front of my girlfriend, but this time, it's _Dylan._ If I did this in front of other girls, they'd either dump me or judge me too quickly. Dylan scooted closer to me and placed her arm around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry." She said, her voice seriously soft and gentle. I wiped a tear from my cheek. "S'okay." "You're not yet over it, aren't you?" in response, I placed my head on her shoulder and drained myself of tears. It's actually the first time I've ever let someone see me cry. It's a relief, since other people get to know the other side of me.

About two minutes later, I finally stopped bawling my head still on Dylan's shoulder. I was amazed at this girl. She didn't complain, didn't do anything. She just sat there patiently, waiting for me to shut up. Once I did, she smiled and said: "You okay?" I managed a weak smile and a nod. I glanced at her clothes. Her shirt was wet with my tears, and it was probably salty now, but the smile on her face told me that she doesn't mind. "What about your shirt?" I blurted out. I probably blushed, and Dylan laughed. "Please. Tears are _way_ better than baby puke." She turned around and headed back to their room. In a flash, she was back, refreshed, her clothes dry and fresh. "I think I'd love to stay here for a while."

**An Hour later…**

"We're back!" Annabeth kicked the door open and marched in with a wide grin on her face. Percy followed, carrying four bags. I squinted to get a better look. _No._ I thought._ It can't be._ That bag… Again, it reminded me of the days that I tried to get my sister back. A wave of emotion overcame me, but thankfully, I managed to hold it back, because Dylan was staring at me, her dark eyes filled with worry. Percy tossed us a bag each, with fries and cheeseburgers inside. Dylan smiled at the bag. "I haven't had any of this stuff since I was eleven." Annabeth and Percy snorted. "Trust me, the last time I'd seen one of those was way back in kindergarten." Percy said. "Oh…" Dylan replied, pulling out a fry and popping it into her mouth. Up until now, I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I whipped out the cheeseburger, unwrapped it and immediately sank my teeth into meaty goodness. _Oh look!_ I mused sarcastically._ A toy!_ I stared at the wrapped toy, sitting at the bottom of my bag. "Hey, Annabeth, we should probably get into our own room." Dylan said. "Yeah, sure." Annabeth replied. She walked on over to Percy (Annabeth, I mean.) and kissed him on the cheek. "Hey, Dylan, what about me?" I said, joking. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, dragging Annabeth along. But halfway through the door, she turned around and blew me a kiss. Then she walked out, Annabeth at her heels.

Dylan's POV

I plopped down on my own bed. "You still haven't told him yet, have you?" Annabeth asked beside me, propping her chin up on her fists. "No. and I don't think that this is a good time to tell him." I replied. "I don't even know why I have to go there, anyway. I'm just really glad that Rachel's there." What is it, you ask? Dad and aunt Carly told me that I might go to Clarion Ladies Academy in the fall. The only good thing is that Rachel's gonna be there. And she can see through the mist, just in case that a student or teacher happens to be a bloodthirsty monster. "There's a keyword, Annabeth. _Might._ I _might_ get in." "Yeah, but you still have to prepare, you know." I sighed. "Whatever, Annabeth." Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a phone. We both reached for our bags, but Annabeth whipped out hers faster. "It's mine." She said, pressing a button. "Hello?" She listened for a few seconds, then her eyes widened. "Really? That's great! Who's the parent?" she listened some more, then she squealed happily. "Okay. Bye." "Oh my gods. They found two new demigods!"

"Say What?"

"Two new demigods!"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Yeah! Cole and Sydney Lafayette!"

"Who's the parent?"

"Poseidon."

"How old?"

"Thirteen and ten."

I ran a hand through my hair. Then a thought popped up on my head. "Wait. Thirteen and ten, right?" I asked. "Yeah." Annabeth replied. "So that means that Poseidon had two kids in one family! This is huge!" Annabeth's eyes widened, like she had just thought about this. She grabbed my hand and bolted to the door. She flung it open and banged on the boy's door. Percy pulled it open, yawning. "What?" Annabeth pushed past him, dragging me along. "Percy, great news!" Annabeth said. Percy rose up an eyebrow. "You have two new siblings! Isn't that great?" Percy looked like he wanted to pass out. Then, he smiled. "Who're they?" he asked. "Their names are Cole and Sydney Lafayette. Cole's thirteen, Sydney's ten. They came in yesterday." Annabeth replied. Nico yawned. "Great." I fake-pouted. He stuck his tongue out at me. Then, I saw Annabeth inching towards Percy. "All right, Annabeth. No offense, Percy, but seriously, save it for your cabin." I wagged a finger at Percy. "Wow, Dylan, Mary-Sue (A/N No offense.) Much?" Nico said, raising an eyebrow. In response, I marched to the edge of the bed, pulled at the blanket and Nico landed with a thud on the floor. I fake-dusted my hands. "How's that for Mary-sue?" I was about to walk away, when Nico pulled at my foot, and next thing I know, he had me pinned to the floor. "So… How about that kiss, huh?" He said, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "No. I just kissed you a day ago." I replied. He let go of my hand. I slapped him gently and stood up. "Come on, Annabeth. We'd better shower up."

At 9 p.m., we decided it was lights out. No matter how I tossed and turned, I can't sleep. The Ladies' Academy thing bothered me a lot. I'm seriously praying to each and every god I knew. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I sat up and answered. Dad. It's my dad. "Hello?" I said, hoping that my dad won't notice the trace of irritation in my voice. Great Timing, Dad. Just Great. "Hi, Dylan."  
>"Aunt Carly?"<p>

"Yeah."

"Why are you using dad's phone?"

"Would you pick up if I used my own phone?"

I sighed. She had a point. "What is it that was so important, that it made you call me at 10 p.m.?"

"Good news or bad news?"

"Bad."

"You got in at Clarion."

I gasped. I wanted to pass out then and there. "No."

There was a sigh at the other end. "Fine. We'll give you until next week to stay at… wherever you are." I smacked my forehead.

"Can I get an extension?"

"A week and three days." I can't take this anymore.

"A WEEK AND THREE DAYS? God, Aunt Carly, school doesn't start until August!"

"Alright, fine! You can spend another month there. No need to yell."

"What's the good news?"

"Your father proposed to me!" Aunt Carly squealed.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm getting married!"

"To whom?"

"Your dad!"

"When's the wedding?"

"We're still planning. Keep ya updated. Oh, and BTW, can you pick up your uniforms here? Thanks, Bye!"

I collapsed on my bed. Clarion and a marriage? Oh, gods, what is this cursed universe trying to do to me? Holy Hera, why can't you just kill me now? Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Careful what you wish for, Dyl. She might just do that. She doesn't like demigods too much." Annabeth said. I realized with a start that I was thinking out loud. "Annabeth. Were you listening while I talked to aunt Carly?" "No. you weren't talking very loudly, you know. I wasn't asleep yet." "So you were just lying there for a whole hour?" I asked. Annabeth yawned. "Yeah. Just one more thing: You got into Clarion, didn't you?" I was quiet for five seconds before answering. "Yeah." My voice was small, I don't even know if Annabeth heard it. She looked at me one more time, and said, "Good night, Dylan."

A/N: And once again, I thank the people who took the time to review. Please, the button on the bottom of the page really wants to be clicked. It's sad and lonely, and do make it happy by tickling it with _your_ cursor. Oh, and the updates might come a wee bit slower since I have school already. Laptop time will be cut off to the weekends. At least I got a one-week laptop extension. Thanks!


	8. Three Magic Words, Happy Couple

Chapter 8: ILY and The End of the Quest

Nico's POV

"What happened to you?" imagine my shock when I saw my girlfriend walk out of the hotel. She had dark circles under her eyes; her eyes were rimmed with red, like she'd been crying. She stopped walking in front of me and glared at me. Then, she hugged me. I heard sniffling. "Hey…" I said, patting her back. "What is it?" She pulled away from me and looked me in the eye. "I'll… I'll tell you when the quest is over." She wiped a tear from her cheek and turned to climb in the car. Annabeth passed me. "Hey, Annabeth, what happened to Dyls?" She turned to look at me. "Just let it go for a while. She'll tell you later on." I just stood there, staring at Dylan through the windows of the van. She just sat there, arms crossed, her eyes drawn to the ground. Suddenly, Percy was beside me. "Come on, man. Let's go."

Two hours had passed, and Dylan was pretty quiet along the way. I suddenly wished that this stupid quest was over. Whatever it was that was bothering her, I need to know. Like, ASAP. I've never seen her so downcast before, and it's driving me crazy. She was mostly staring at the road or running a hand through her dark hair. Her acting so innocent is killing me. (Though I do think that she looked so beautiful, even with the eyebags and the red eyes.) _Fine._ I thought._ We'll talk about this later._ And slipped on the iPod headphones.

Next thing I know was that we were in a parking lot at some huge place, and Dylan was trying to wake me up. "Nico, I know you're awake. Can you please get up _now_?" She said. I groaned. "Well, you asked for it." Her palm connected with my face, and I was sure that there were red lines on my face to prove it. "Ow!" I cried out, my eyes flying wide open. "Now you're awake." Dylan said. I turned to face her. Her eyebags were gone, and her eyes were back to normal. "You think?" she smiled, and then started to get up. I grabbed her arm. "No. you are not going anywhere without telling me what's wrong!" She faced me and took a shaky breath. "Fine. You wanna know? I'm going to Clarion Ladies Academy."

My breathing tightened and my heart felt like lead. "What? Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. She looked me straight in the eye. "Nico, don't get me wrong, I like you and would grab every chance I would get to hang out with you, but I need to show my dad and Aunt Carly that I can be responsible, smart and ladylike. I promise, I'd go to camp as soon as it's the holidays, or you can stop by if you're not busy." She said. In response, I inched forward and hugged her. She was surprised, but she soon wrapped her arms around me. "Just take care of yourself. For me. I'd beat myself up if you get hurt." I whispered into her ear. She gave a small laugh. "You act like I'm gonna do something stupid." She said. "And with all those Aphrodite chicks running after you. They'd probably be flirting with you every minute of the day without me knocking their lights out." I pulled away and raised an eyebrow. She laughed again. "Just kidding." Then she grabbed my hand and opened the door. "Now, let's go, Annabeth and Percy is probably waiting for us now."

Dylan led us to a barren area. "What are we doing here?" she whipped around and opened her mouth to speak, but once again, she was interrupted by loud thumping. We stayed rooted to our spots, and that's when a Cyclops in a baby blue tux came into view.

He looked terrible, and he was carrying two figures who looked a lot alike. Dylan gasped beside me. "What's wrong?" I whispered. "Can't you see it? That's Mom and Katie!" She hiss-whispered back. I studied them carefully. Same black hair. I couldn't tell what eye color they had, because they were passed out. But judging by the green light flickering around the other woman, I could guess that she's Demeter. But the other one… "Polyphemus." Annabeth said, jarring me away from my thoughts. Percy gulped. Polyphemus sniffed the air. "I smell tasty demigods!" he dropped the two figures on the ground, then started walking, probably looking for us. He was about ten feet in front of us when Percy said. "Confuse him. Scatter. On my count. One… two… three, go!" we bolted through different directions, and Polyphemus roared with rage. I didn't know why, but what Dylan told me echoed through my head over and over again. _I'm going to Clarion._ I froze, thoughts racing through my head. Dylan's words. Her in a dress. The expression she had this morning. "Nico! Nico! Watch out, you dummy!" it was Dylan's voice, but it sounded like she was so far away. I turned at the last moment. I saw Polyphemus, armed with a javelin and was about to send me a few feet in the air. Then, the butt of the javelin hit me in the chest and sent me ten feet behind. My head hit something hard, and something warm was running down my jaw. I tried to stand up and fight, but I was dazed and my vision was starting to fog up. My chest and my whole body ached. Then, I passed out from the pain.

Dylan's POV

"Nico! Nico! Watch out!" I tried to warn him, but it was like he didn't hear me. What could be bothering him? The next thing I know, he was sprawled out on the ground. He was bleeding. This image sent anger coursing through my veins. I charged up to Polyphemus, stopping at his foot. "Hey ugly!" he turned around, and I dodged his foot to avoid getting crushed. "Who are you?" he rumbled. I got an idea. "Nobody, that's who!" I yelled back. He bent down, his one milky eye boring into me. He yelled with rage directly at my face, and the stench of lamb's meat stung my nose. Eewww. This made me even angrier. He stood up and picked up his javelin. "I will kill you, nobody!" he bellowed. He stabbed downward, the tip landing a few inches beside me. He pulled it out of the ground and started stabbing. I dodged each one but one stab grazed my leg, tearing my jeans open. The cut wasn't deep, though. "These are designer jeans!" I yelled in fury, and he stabbed again. One more grazed my arm. "Oh… it's on now." I said, barely audible to Polyphemus. I yelled, and thick tendrils about as big as him exploded out of the ground. Percy jumped out of the way. "Whoa!" he said. "Sorry!" I replied. With one flick of the wrist, the tendrils wrapped around his ankles and wrists, binding him. The more he struggled, the tendrils wrapped around him tighter. I climbed up his chest. "You kidnapped my mom and sister, threatened the life of my friends, and hurt my boyfriend. And with that, you're gonna pay. He gulped. He knew that even when he responds, more will wrap around him. I raised my dagger, aimed straight at the area where his heart is supposed to be, and with as much force as I can gather, stabbed downward. He yelled in pain, and I pulled out my dagger. He exploded into dust all over me, covering me from head to toe. Percy and Annabeth were staring at me, eyes wide. "The blessing of Demeter…" Annabeth muttered. "You…You killed him." Percy said, gaping at me. I dusted myself off. I suddenly remembered Nico.

When I got to him, I felt the urge to faint. Nico was paler than usual, his hairline sticky with blood. His pulse was weakening. "Gods, no." I muttered, adjusting Nico so that his head rested on my lap. "Nectar! Come on!" Percy handed me Nico's canteen, and I trickled some of it into his mouth. A little bit of his color came back and his pulse got stronger, but he's still passed out. My heart felt heavy. "Do not worry. The boy will be fine." A voice said behind me, and I whirled around. Demeter was standing behind me, and put a hand on my shoulder. I let out a muted gasp. "Mom?" She smiled. "Yes, Child. You would be better if you start your journey on your way back today. Another day and your, ah,_ friend_ might be in trouble." The way she said it made me blush. "But-"I started, but she cut me off. "Your half-sister is in the car, and Percy should be back soon to help you with-""Nico." "Yes, Nico." She stroked my hair one last time. "I should get back to Olympus. And, remember, my child that you have done well and made me very proud." At that, she disappeared.

The drive back to camp was nauseating, and Percy didn't even have a stop-over. We struggled to get Nico up the hill, and believe me; Nico is heavier than he looks. After getting him in the infirmary, I dragged Will Solace from his cabin into Nico's room. "Alright, Will. Work your magic." I said, crossing my arms. He dusted himself off. His lips started moving in a silent prayer. Then, he pulled out a roll of bandages and started wrapping it around Nico's head. Another second later, his bruises started fading and his normal color came back. "Alright, Dylan, Nico's fine now, but he may need two more rest days. He should wake up anytime soon." He said, getting up. "Thanks, Will." I replied. He walked out of the room, leaving me with an unconscious Nico.

Nico's POV

When I woke up at the infirmary, my head was throbbing, my body ached, and my mouth felt dry. Someone placed a straw in my mouth. I sipped the liquid, and I immediately felt better. I tried to sit up, and a voice said: "Hey… you need more rest. Just lie down." I looked at where it was coming from. "Dylan." She smiled. "Glad you remember." I sat up, and I felt woozy. A second later, my vision focused, and Dylan had suddenly moved to the side of my bed. She was wearing and orange camp shirt, short denim shorts and Converse sneakers. Her hair was tied in a loose side-ponytail, and even though she never touched a make-up kit, she looked gorgeous. "Told ya you need more rest." I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Are you really serious about the Clarion thing?" She sighed and pulled out the scrunchie that was holding her hair together. "Yes, Nico. And I don't like it, but I have to." I stared at the wooden floor. I felt her move closer to me. Her hand gently pushed my chin up so I was meeting her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't cheat on you or do anything to hurt you." She took a deep breath, and continued. "I love you, Nico di Angelo. And don't even think of cheating on _me,_ because if you do, I swear, I'll skin you alive when I get back." I felt her hand work its way slowly towards the back of my neck. She leaned in so close that our foreheads were already connected. I smiled slowly. "Whatever you say, Dyls. I love you too." Fine. Tell me we're going too fast, since we're still both… young, but I somehow knew that I would never find a girl like her again. No other girls can fit in the crater she left in my heart _if_ she doesn't remain faithful. I also figured that if I cheated on her, each and every plant near me would suddenly come to life, trying to kill me. But I would never do that. I love her, and she loves me back. Her mom's Demeter, who doesn't like my dad very much for kidnapping Persephone, and who knows what she might do to me for hurting her daughter. I suddenly felt Dylan's lips press against mine, and I was surprised for a second, my eyes wide open, but I snapped out of it and closed my eyes. Boy, I really was going to miss her. My mind seemed to melt right through me. I wrapped my arm around her waist. Yeah, I could get used to this kind of thing every day. "Hey Dyl-"I broke away from her, mildly irritated. Guess what? Percy was at the door. His face was now beet red and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "What?" I asked, a hint of irritation in my voice. Dylan punched me lightly on the arm. She sighed. "Yes, Perce?" "Um, Chiron sent me to get you for archery. You're five minutes late…" He said, studying the floor. "I'll be there in a sec, Thanks." She replied. I swear Percy was trying hard not to run. He closed the door behind him. "So… I guess I'll see you later." I said, a grin plastered on my face. She gave me another kiss. "Sure. Now, get some rest, if you want to be out of that bed tomorrow afternoon." She stood up, walked to the door and shut it firmly, leaving me alone. I smiled again and lay back on my bed. I closed my eyes, still brimming with happiness.

Percy's POV

Well, this is embarrassing. I am so stupid sometimes. Hell, I didn't even consider knocking. I burst into Nico's room, only to see him wide awake, sitting up, and _kissing_ Dylan. I wonder if this is how people feel when they see Annabeth and me, _alone_, in my cabin. When Dylan trotted out of the infirmary, I developed a sudden interest on the grass. I heard her laugh. "It's okay, Percy, I won't beat you up." She said. I gathered up all my willpower to look up at her. "So… finally said the three magic words, huh?" she looked at me skeptically. "How'd you know?" this time, it was my turn to smile. "Please. I have Annabeth, remember?" slowly, she began to smile. "Ohhh… I see…" she held out her fist. I bumped it with mine. "So how's the Big-brother thing going?" I shrugged. "Fine, I guess. You'll meet Cole when you get to archery." I looked at my watch. "Yeah, I gotta go. I need to pick up Sydney from arts and crafts." I started walking towards the arts and crafts cabin, giving a backwards wave to Dylan.

So, my dear readers, Love it? Hate it? Oh, do let me know! Remember, there's a button underneath this A/N wanting to be clicked! Bye, See ya!


	9. Seriously Freaking Out

_Hey, people of Fanfiction and beyond!_

_I just want to say that starting from Chapter 9; all the Chapters will be a collection of Nico and Dylan's moments together, before she goes to Clarion. Oh, and a big, big thank you to all the people who took the time and energy to review on my story. I love you guys, even if you are just twelve all in all. A huge THANK YOU to all of you! You keep me going, and if it weren't for you, I would have deleted these stuff already! _

_Without further ado, here it is, Chapter 9!_

Chapter 9: Seriously Freaking Out

Nico's POV

I woke up with sunlight streaming through the windows and two faces staring at me. I glanced at the clock. 9:00 a.m. _This early?_ I thought. "Hello, love. What're ya doing up this early?" I asked, smiling, and with a fake British accent. Dylan rolled her eyes. "Please, Nico, not in front of your sister." I looked at the other face staring at me. She looked back at Dylan. "Are you his girlfriend?" she asked. Dylan gave a small laugh and nodded. I sat up and both girls backed away. Dylan smiled at me. "Nico, meet your little sister, Jamie Allison."

I swear my jaw dropped straight to Tartarus when I heard what Dylan said. I smiled slowly. "Hi. How old are you?" I asked the girl standing on the side of my bed. "I'm eleven. So you must be Nico." She replied. "Big brother, at your service."

By the time I got to my own cabin, Dylan had pretty much shown Jamie around. When I opened the door, Dylan was lying lazily on my bunk, reading a book. "Hey… Where's Jamie?" I asked. "Oh, I took her over to the Poseidon cabin to meet Sydney. Looks like they're having fun with Peewee." She replied. Then she yawned. "I let them take her out for a while. Cole's watching over them, though." "What are you doing here?" She looked at me. "Oh, I don't know." Then, she sighed. "I'm heading to the beach." I grabbed her arm as she passed me. "What about camp?" She rolled her eyes. "It's my free time, dummy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to where I wanna go."

Archery, Training, Scaling the Climbing wall…. Okay, now I'm getting bored. An idea popped up on my head. If she's still there… I got off my bunk and made my way to the beach.

Guess who I saw there: Dylan, Sydney, Jamie and Peewee. Dylan saw me coming and told the girls: "Uh, girls, can you go on to Sydney's cabin and wash up?" Sydney pouted. "Aww… can't we stay a little longer?" Dylan laughed. "No, and you still have arts and crafts before dinner. Bring Jamie along." She smiled. "Can I bring Peewee, too?" Dylan pretended to think about it and tapped her chin. "Okay." The two girls jumped up, grabbed Peewee's leash, and bolted across the sand dunes towards the cabins. Once the coast was clear, I trotted on to where Dylan was sitting. She wore a long white hoodie over her bathing suit, her swimming shorts peeking out (her swimsuit actually consists of a tankini, and short shorts.). Sea salt was starting to form on her damp hair. Sand covered her toes. I planted myself next to her. "Hey." She said, still staring at the horizon. "You okay?" I asked. "I'm fine, I guess. I just want to spend time with the kids." I smiled. "You're still amazing." I said. She faced me. "Trust me, Nico, I know." I smiled. "I wish I don't have to go to Clarion. I wish I could just stay here, get some tutoring from the Athena cabin… and still be with you." she placed her head on my shoulder, creating white specks of salt on the sleeve of my black shirt. But hey, if it's her, there's no problem at all. She heaved a sigh. "What is it this time?" I asked. "It's nothing you-"she replied. "Dylan Alexa Green, tell me NOW!" I said, cutting her off. She winced at her middle name, and then sat up and faced me. "Alright. Just when I saw the water, I felt an extra surge of strength. This is weird, since I'm not a daughter of Poseidon. And then when I submerged, I found out that I can also breathe underwater, like Percy. I opened my palm experimentally, and the water shot up twenty feet. I'm freaking out, and I'm beginning to question my 'godly parentage'. And I suddenly feel more powerful, more than just a daughter of Demeter." she replied, staring at the water the whole time she talked to me. I couldn't say anything, and I was also freaking out. If she had two godly parents, she would have to be a…a….a GODDESS! I ran a hand through my hair. No. No. No. This cannot be happening! She can't be a goddess! "Please, Nico, don't tell anyone. Just let it be hidden until the end of the month, before I go to Clarion. Then you can blab about it while I'm gone." She said. "No. These kinds of things cannot remain hidden forever, and you know that! We have to tell!" I replied. She sighed again. "Please, just keep it until tonight. I promise to tell Chiron first thing in the morning." Her voice was small. "Alright, I'm sorry. But you do have to tell tomorrow." I replied. She nodded weakly. She turned to face me. "Thank you." she said. In response, I leaned forward and hugged her. We heard a muted "Aww" from behind a sand dune. She broke away from me and gestured toward the sand. I nodded, took her hand, and melted into the shadows.

Sydney and Jamie shrieked as we appeared behind them. After we calmed them down, they had some explaining to do. "Alright, what were you two doing in there?" Dylan asked, crossing her arms. Sydney studied the sand. "Um…" Dylan sighed, and knelt down to meet Sydney's eyes. "How much did you hear?" She asked. "Everything." Sydney replied. "I forgive you. Just do not tell anybody what you. Her face brightened up, and she threw her arms around Dylan. "I promise." I looked at Jamie. "You too, 'lil sis." I said. She nodded meekly, slightly blushing. "I see that you're both cleaned up, so yeah, let's get you to arts and crafts."

I stood at the porch of the Demeter cabin, my hand poised and ready to knock. One knock. And another. But nobody answered. I pushed the door open and stuck my head inside. And right in the middle of the room, Dylan was standing in front of a full-length mirror, studying herself as she wore the Clarion uniform. "Knock, knock." I said. She suddenly whirled around, her eyes wide in shock. "Oh, uh, hey Nico. Come on in." I stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the scent of different flowers. "Clarion?" I asked. She nodded. "So… What do you think?" She asked. I looked at her, taking in her outfit. My gaze finished at her shoes. I shrugged. "Good, I guess." She smiled at that and plopped down beside me. "I just can't believe that their uniforms are _this_ short. Ugh. And I have to wear this." She took off a shoe, holding it by the heel. I gave her a small laugh. She punched me in the arm. "OW!" I yelped. She laughed, took off the other shoe and tossed it to the corner of the room. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" She asked, gesturing to the uniform. "Of course I am. But I will miss you. A lot." She continued to smile. She checked the time. "Six-thirty. You'd better go ahead, Nico. I'll follow you. Just wait for me in the arts and crafts cabin." I nodded, turned and walked out the door.

"Peewee, No!" Sydney screamed, bolting after the Labrador puppy that had slipped off of her leash. Dylan soon came visible, and stopped the dog from running straight into the woods. She pulled out a milkbone biscuit and fed it to Peewee. She gestured for me to come on, and I walked on to where she was, my eleven-year old half-sister on my back. I set Jamie down. "What now?" I asked. She checked her watch. "Three. Two. One." She raised up a finger, and sure enough, the conch horn sounded. "Come on. Dinnertime already. And I'm hungry."

The usual went on at dinner. Offering, toasting, yada, yada, yada. But after dinner, I saw Dylan sneak out into the woods, alone. I grunted. Campfire should follow. I shrugged I led Jamie to a seat, stayed for a few minutes, told Jamie I'd be back and melted into the shadows.

I spotted Dylan sitting me. underneath a tree. "Hey." I said, and she jumped. "What're you doing here?" "I'm the one who should be asking you that question." I replied. She sighed and patted the grass beside her. "I'm seriously not in the mood to sing songs and act happy while something's bothering me. It just seems wrong." I chuckled. "Welcome to my world." She stared at me and placed her head on my shoulder. "I'm lucky you're here. Or else I would've considered drowning myself."

"Except you can't do that."

"I know." We sat there for a while. Then, a few minutes later, we heard Chiron's voice, sending campers off to bed. We stood up. "Good night, Nico." I smiled, leaned forward and closed my eyes. Her lips touched mine, and I felt her hand move to my jawline, pulling me closer. When we broke apart, she planted a peck on my lips, smiled, and walked away. I felt a smile form on my lips too. But that smile faded when I suddenly remembered what she told me:_ I feel more powerful._ And, she was right. She suddenly radiated power, when she went near me. She also looked different, like she had suddenly gotten younger and more… what's that word again? _Beautiful._ Yeah, that's it. I stood in the darkness for a while, wondering if everything would be the same again after tomorrow.

Hey, sorry it's a tad short, But wait for the next chapter, I'm sure it'll surprise you .


	10. Say What!

Hey!  
>Sorry if the updates are coming in slower, it's because school has started already, and I always have a ton of homework!<br>I'll still update, though.

Chapter 10: Say What?

Dylan's POV

My otherwise peaceful sleep was ruined when someone started shaking me awake. "Dylan! Dylan! Wake up!" I groaned. "Chiron wants you in the big house in twenty minutes!" That woke me up real quick. I sat up, and came face-to-face with Katie. I glanced at the clock. 6 a.m. real nice. I backed up a bit. "What is it?" I asked, trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes. "I don't know. Just get up, change clothes, and brush your teeth. Or, whatever you do every morning. Just be there before 6:30. Nico's there already." I yawned one more time, and then stood up, grabbed my things, and headed for the washroom.

After a quick shower, I pushed the door of the big house open. There, I saw Chiron and Nico. I walked in. "Um, Chiron, what is it?" He looked up. "Ah, yes. Your mother has called for you. You must go to Olympus now." I didn't need any convincing. "Sure. Who's coming with me?" Chiron sighed. "Mr. Di Angelo here, and I believe I sent Annabeth out to get Percy. "Okay." Then the door flew open, missing me by an eyelash. I didn't even mind, because I was busy locking eyes with Nico. He wore the usual black shirt, black jeans, plus and aviator's jacket and aviator shades. I looked at him questioningly, tilting my head (although he did look hot…). He smiled and took the shades off. I muttered something in Filipino, I thought it was inaudible, until Nico looked at me, cocked his head and mouthed "Whaaaat?" I shook my head. "Hey Chiron? I think we're ready to go." Annabeth said, brushing away a few strands of blonde hair away from her face.

We arrived in Olympus in no time. While on the road, I saw the sky, and strangely, it was covered with dark clouds. Hmm. Zeus must be upset about something. When we walked towards the front desk, my heart was pounding. This was actually the first time that I saw all the Olympians in one place. We approached the man on the front desk. He looked up from his book, motioned for me to get closer, and whispered, "Your mother wants you to go up alone." I nodded and took the key card from him. Nico started forward, and I said, "Sorry, guys. I have to do this alone." Nico nodded, stepped closer, and kissed me gently on the cheek. I mouthed "Thank you" and got in the elevator.

When the elevator doors opened, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I was so far up, my fear of heights almost came back again. I took a brisk walk across the bridge, and let out a huge sigh of relief when I got to the end of it. And that's when I noticed how beautiful Olympus was. I walked through roads that led to the top, and some minor godlings either waved at me and smiled or had a shocked expression as I passed them. Heart pounding, I approached the doors leading to the throne room of the gods.

I gulped as I stood in the center of the throne room, twelve pairs of eyes glued to me. Finally, my mom spoke. "Dylan, you are not who you think you are." What? Wow, so straightforward. I love it. (Take note of the sarcasm here) My mom hesitated, and motioned for Zeus to continue. He grumbled but eventually spoke. "Before you were born, Demeter here went missing for two days. Little did we know that she got kidnapped by Oceanus, took her somewhere and… that's how you came to be." My jaw hung open. "You-you've got to be kidding me! How did Demeter even survive being underwater for so long? And what about my Dad?" Demeter sighed. "I loved your father, and when Oceanus wanted you to stay with him, I fought for you and gave you to your dad. You were kept safe for thirteen years, without the titans harming or finding you, and you even survived the second Titan war!" I crossed my arms. "What am I, then? And what can I do now?" my mom smiled at this. "You are already my lieutenant. Now that you know this, you are immortal. You may still live your normal life, go to school, attend camp or whatsoever, but you will never age. You are to perform your duties when there are wars, problems, or trouble in the Greek world. But now, you are still under wraps, and will hopefully not attract monsters or Titans." My jaw dropped open again. "But what about… Nico? And all the others?" Hades spoke up. Whoa. Hades was there? "We will continue to watch Nico, just in case he does something heroic that deserves an honor, somewhat like yours." I sighed. "That's it?" I was surprised with myself. I was taking this news well. "Yes. In case I need you, I will send something, be it a dream, a message, or a quest." My mom said. "Can I go now?" I asked impatiently. They all nodded, and I was glad nobody even tried to kill me.

Nico's POV

When Dylan walked out of the elevator, I knew something big happened up there. She slapped the keycard down on the counter, said "Come on, guys" and walked toward the parked van. She plopped down on a seat and crossed her arms. "Okay. Dyl, tell us what happened." She inhaled deeply before answering. "I just learned that I'm not a demigod after all." I frowned. "What are you then?" she looked me straight in the eyes. "I'm-I'm half-God and half-T-t-Titan." Her voice quivered, and she said _Titan_ like it was stuck in her throat and didn't want to say it. I felt like I got kicked in the gut. "Are-are you serious?" she looked at me with sad eyes and nodded. I scooted closer and wrapped my arms around her. "What are you gonna do now?" I whispered. "I'm Demeter's lieutenant. I'll still go to camp and school, but I'm immortal. Which sucks, because you're not." I actually smiled at that. "Hey, you don't know what might happen in the future right?" she leaned back against my chest. "I know." She said, her voice soft.

Who knew going to Olympus would only take a short time in the morning? We all still had time for the usual camp activities, and despite the shocking news, Dylan did well. With Cole's help, she became better in archery (I'm not jealous, I know that she loves me and wouldn't even try to cheat on me.). I was on their team during capture the flag, and with Dylan's help, we won. I saw her test out her powers, douse a few campers and submerge a canoe, but hey, she's a beginner. The trees in the woods grew taller, and I knew she was there.

A wave of water soaked me from head to toe, distracting me, making me _accidentally_ aim the arrow at a camper's pants. Thank gods that he was a Hecate kid, and he can mend the hole in his pants in a snap of a finger, and he's not _that_ temperamental. I whirled around, half-annoyed, half-amused, and found Dylan behind me, blushing. "Um, sorry?" I grinned, leaned forward and gave her a peck. "Sorry? Man, that was amazing! Are you sure that there's no near water source that might help you?" I said. Slowly, she began to smile. "I know, right! So, whaddaya think?" "Dude, that was amazing!" then her gaze dropped down. "Um, you-"she started to say. "I know. See me at campfire." I replied.

"Hey." Dylan said, slipping in the seat next to mine. "Finally. I thought you'd never come." I replied, and took a glance at her, and had to catch my breath. The firelight illuminated her face beautifully, and I suddenly forgot my name. "What?" she asked, staring at me. "Um, ah…" I shook my head. "Nothing." She snickered. "Yeah, thought so."

Yeah, sorry if it's a bit too short, and I needed to finish it before Monday (it's Sunday already here in Manila), since my dad needs to use this laptop. Please stay tuned, I'll update soon and don't forget the usual reminder: Review!

Love, Hugs, and Blueberry cheesecakes,

~iheartpercyj~


	11. Oh, Gods!

Chapter 11: Oh, Gods.

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>Nico's POV<p>

I was kinda surprised when it rained pretty hard after breakfast today. Mr. D must be pretty grumpy (or Lazy. Sorry Mr. D!) . Anyway, another thing that took me by surprise was Dylan touring the camp in a rainstorm. She was sopping wet, despite the fact that her father was Oceanus (A/N: My research says that Oceanus was also the titan of all things related to water, and rain _is_ water, right? Moving on.). I went outside, standing on my porch, when she passed by my cabin. "You do know that what you're doing will most likely get you in trouble." I said. She looked up. "Oh, Hey Nico. I don't care. Mr. D probably won't notice." I shrugged. "Whatever you say. See ya." She continued walking, hopefully back to her cabin.

The day went by pretty fast, if you ask me. Though one thing was strange. I didn't see Dylan at dinner, at lunch, or even around camp. I spotted Katie on her way to the amphitheater and walked up to her. "Hey Katie, where's Dylan." She smiled cheekily. "I think you'd better pay her a visit in our cabin." I frowned. What could be her problem now?

As I got closer to the Demeter cabin, I heard sneezing. When I flung open the door, I saw Dylan, wrapped in a blanket. "Hey." I said, walking towards her bed. Then I saw her face. Her nose was red, her eyes watery. "Hey." She said. Her voice sounded like she had the flu. "What's up?" I asked. "Cold." She replied. I snickered. "Told you so." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Nico. What are you doing here, anyway?" "I don't want to go to Campfire, so I decided to take a little detour and visit you here." Suddenly, her face paled. "Um, Nico, can you hand me that trash can over there?" I stood up and gave her what she asked for. "You might want to turn around, this can't be pretty." She said. "Why-"I started, it was too late. She had already puked, right before my eyes. She placed the trash can down and wiped her mouth. "Told ya." She stood up, clinging to the wall for support, and walked to the washroom.

A few seconds later, she came back out, looking worse than ever. I felt her forehead. "Whoa, Dyls, you have a fever!" she groaned and buried herself under her blanket. "I'll go get Katie and Annabeth." I said, getting up and walking towards the door.

"Looks like the flu to me, Dylan. Might take a week before you're back to normal." Annabeth said, sitting on Dylan's bed. "Thanks, Annabeth." She replied and sank under the sheets again. "Come on, Katie. Nico, wanna come?" I shook my head. Annabeth stared at me questioningly. "Fine." She and Katie walked out the door. "How, exactly, did you get the flu when your father is Oceanus?" she crawled out of the sheets just to glare at me. "What, just because my father is Oceanus it's already illegal for me to catch the flu?" her remark made me blush a little. "No." I replied. She rolled her eyes. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a little nauseous, and you might wanna get outta here."

My daily schedule changed for a week. It was eat, shower, train, eat, train some more, visit Dylan until end of free time, dinner, campfire, Capture the flag, lights out. That's it. Dyl still had the flu, and didn't return to normal until the weekend. And she still needed two more days of rest. Her normal self was back by the start of the week, and that's when I realized that we only had two weeks left with each other. She was going away at the end of the month. I stabbed the straw dummy and pulled out my sword. Straw flew everywhere. "Whoa. Take it easy there, tiger." A female voice said behind me. I whipped around. "Dyls, what're you doing here?" she smiled. "Oh, nothing. I guess I was bored" she replied. I sighed. "Oh, and you do know that we only have two more weeks together." She added. "I kinda figured that out on my own." I replied. She sighed, walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Love you." she whispered. I blushed, especially since I was sweaty and probably really gross. I began to relax. "Love you." She broke away from me and planted a kiss on my cheek. "See you later." She said. I felt a smile tugging at my lips. That girl really is special.

Dylan's POV

"WHAT? School doesn't even start until August, and you want me to go to EARLY ORIENTATION?"I half-screamed, half-said into my phone. "You've GOT to be kidding me!" "Dylan, sweetie, just-"Aunt Carly started. "No, I won't take it easy! Do you even know that I just had the flu?" I replied. "Dylan, just hear me out. You WILL attend orientation, and then go back to your silly little camp after. See, you can still spend the rest of the summer with your boyfriend!" I face-palmed. Aunt Carly might as well be a daughter of Aphrodite. "Fine, whatever, okay. I'll go." I replied. Aunt Carly won't get off the phone until I agree. "Oh, and you do know that attending orientation might just prepare you for your school year ahead. You're a really great student." She was right about that. I'm not dyslexic; I just learned how to speak fluent Greek (I began speaking in it since I was seven. I don't know why.) But I do have ADHD, and even when I was hyper when I was a kid, my dad found a way to handle me all on his own. Oh, and did I mention that my dad knows that my mother was Demeter, since he could also see through the mist? Yeah, that's true. "Orientation's tomorrow, Dyls, don't forget! I'll be meeting you there. See ya!" Then Aunt Carly hung up. I flopped down on my bed and muttered, "How could I forget?" My blood pounded in my ears. I was panting, and I didn't even do something tiring. "Um, knock knock?" a familiar voice said. I lifted my head up and looked towards the door. "Oh hey, Nico. What's up" I asked. I couldn't hide the trace of sadness in my voice. _I only have two weeks left with Nico and this Camp, and she wants me to go to Orientation? Ugh. Darn it, Aphrodite! What are you trying to do to me?_ I thought. Nico walked over to my bed and placed an arm around my shoulders. "Hey. What's wrong again?" He asked. Oh well. He noticed it. Better tell him now. I looked straight at his dark eyes, finding it very hard to breathe. I finally composed myself and said: "Nico, I'll be going to orientation tomorrow, and that means less time with you I'm really sorry but I have to do this to get aunt Carly off my heels and I know you're probably sad, downcast, disappointed or something but you're my boyfriend and I know that you'll understand this and I'm really-"that last part was because Nico cut me off, probably because I had been explaining things to him without stopping. He clamped a hand over my mouth. "There. Now I know that our last few days together might decrease, but hey, if you want me to come, I'll come with you, okay?" Nico said. I thought about it for a while and he removed his hand. "Yeah, but what excuse are you gonna give if they don't let you in?' I replied. Nico smiled. "That's easy. Your aunt Carly's coming, right? I'll just pretend that I'm your brother. Simple." I smiled back. "Great idea' brother.'" I said, punching his shoulder lightly. He laughed. I felt myself blushing. He rarely laughed, and his laugh was really cute. I looked up and suddenly met his dark eyes. He stopped laughing, and we sat there, staring at each other. "Um, I should probably go." He said. "Yeah. See you later, I guess." I replied. He started to get up and walked towards the door, while I leaned down and petted Peewee, who barked just as Nico shut the door. "He's not gonna hurt me, girl. He might even take care of you when I'm gone." Peewee just let out a huge yawn and placed her head in between her paws.

The weirdest thing happened to me at dinner. The other campers knew about my new ability, but didn't know that I'm Half-titan. I realized that Nico, Annabeth and Percy were the only ones who knew about my _real_ father. Well, I guess the secret's out. Here's what happened.

We were all about to give our offerings, and just as my food touched the fire, a sphere of water started wrapping itself around me. I felt stronger, more powerful. From inside my little hamsterball-like sphere, I could see the shocked faces of each and every camper. I was freaking out, because I can't see what they see from inside. When it disappeared, I saw fear, shock, and surprise in every face that I saw. A girl from the Aphrodite table stood up and walked over to where I was. She was an Asian girl, and I've seen her before, but I forgot her name. Probably because I don't pay much attention to the Aphrodite kids. I could hear the click-clack of her stilettos. She said: "You don't belong here, spawn of a Titan." Her words made my blood simmer inside. The last straw was when she dumped her yogurt on my head. (This was pretty stupid, since I'm about two inches taller than her.) Big mistake, Aphrodite girl. Big mistake. I opened my hands, and two geysers of water appeared on either side of me. I snapped my fingers, and immediately, she got drenched. The problem is, the whole camp's population took an instant bath. I'm gonna be in big trouble. I snapped again, and the water disappeared. I saw her expression, and I wanted to crack up. She screamed. "These are designer jeans! You're gonna pay for this, you brat." I scoffed. "Whatever Drew," I said, finally remembering her name. She was the head counselor for the Aphrodite cabin. "You're pathetic."

I found myself in the Big House. Chiron sat in front of us, in wheelchair form. He looked at me, and then at still-sopping-wet Drew. "Well. Since Mr. D isn't here, you two will mop the pavilion clean. The flood you caused there won't immediately dry up, so meet me at 5 a.m. to get started." Drew opened her mouth to say something, but Chiron held up his hand, indicating that Drew keep quiet. I shrugged. "Sure. Can I go now?" Chiron nodded, I turned on my heels and gave Drew a smug smile. "Toodles." I said, mimicking her voice. She stared daggers at me, but heck, I don't care. I won't be here at the end of summer. I slipped my hands in the pocket of my shorts. (Designer, as usual, courtesy of Aunt Carly, but I don't really tell anyone that.) I made my way to campfire, and all was peaceful for a while, until an icy hand clamped over my mouth, and the next thing I know, I began melting into the shadows. This can only be happening because of a certain someone. Nico. We appeared at the other side of the camp, at the canoe lake. As soon as he removed his hand, I said: "What is it again, Nico?" he smiled crookedly. "Nothing. I just thought you wanted some time-you know- together?" I smiled back. "Well, you're right. But you do know that designer shorts and Ecko reds aren't really the best things to wear when you're at a canoe lake." He chuckled. "Whatever. You wanna go or what?" "Fine." I said, loosening my shoelaces. I slipped off the shoes and carried it to where Nico was sitting. We sat there, staring at the bright full moon. Nico's hand slipped into mine. I looked at him. He stared back. Sitting there, under the moonlight, staring into each other's eyes, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. He leaned forward, and our lips touched. His lips were cold, but hey, I don't mind. He pulled away after five seconds. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I felt my cheeks heat up. He smiled. I guess he could still see the bright red tint on my cheeks. I stole a peek at my watch. 10 p.m. yep, I was getting sleepy. I leaned in and kissed him one more time, bid him goodnight and went back to my cabin. Ah, being a demigod-oops, sorry, an immortal demigod-is awesome!

My phone buzzed at 5:45 a.m. I reached for it groggily, and willed myself to get up. A morning with Drew wasn't exactly in my "to-do" list. Yep, might as well get dressed now.

I arrived at the pavilion at six a.m. sharp. Chiron was there with a cleaning harpy who held two mops. I looked over my shoulder. I grunted. Looks like I'll be doing this on my own. "Now, you'd better get started. Drew will continue what you've finished when she arrives." I smiled. Chiron handed me a mop, he trotted away and the harpy followed him. Finally. Alone at last. I peeled off my cardigan and went to work. By the time Drew arrived, I've already mopped the whole place. It was up to Drew to get the whole darn thing dry. Drew looked at me with sheer anger in her eyes. Seeing how she looked right now, I wanted to burst out laughing. "Hey there, Drew." I said nonchalantly. "Let's get this place dried up okay? Breakfast is at seven." "Sure thing, Dylan." She said through gritted teeth. I plastered a fake smile on my face, picked up a dry mop and handed it to Drew. I started walking past her when I tripped on something. I tried to stand up, but instead, all that came out of me was a scream of pain. Darn it, my ankle didn't feel so good. "Oh sorry." Drew said, placing a hand delicately above her mouth. Her mop was placed on where I tripped. I knew it. She tripped me. But a sudden thought popped up on my brain. I felt myself smiling, too. "Oh Drew. You do realize that now that I'm injured, you'll be cleaning up this mess on your own." I said, pulling myself up and took a step forward. Pain shot up my ankle. I winced. "See ya." I limped towards the infirmary. I knew that a few of the Apollo kids were there already, and I also knew that they have no problem in waking up early. I pushed the door open. Sure enough, someone was there. But it wasn't an Apollo kid. In fact, he was Cole. "Hey Dylan. What're you doing here?" he asked. I forced a smile. "Just a little minor accident with the Queen Bug of the Aphrodite cabin." I limped inside and plopped down on a chair. "Ankle?" he asked. "Yeah."

"Lemme see."

He knelt down. He put pressure on it and with a yelp; I kicked him in the shoulder.

"Ow." He said.

"Sorry."

"S'okay."

"Hey-"Minnie Fischer burst into the infirmary. "Oh. Hey Cole, hi Dylan. What's wrong?" she asked. "Dylan here got a bad ankle from Drew. I'm not sure, but it looks like a sprain." Cole replied. Minnie knelt down and examined my ankle. She put pressure on it again, and this time, I screamed. "Okay. It is a sprain. Wait here." She ran off to somewhere in the infirmary and came back a minute later, holding a roll of gauge. She wrapped it around my ankle. "There we go." She said. "Thanks." I replied gratefully. Minnie looked at her watch. "Yeah, I gotta jet. See ya later." She ran out of the door. "Yeah that reminds me, I need to go too. Bye Cole." I said. I limped towards the door.

I made my way back to my cabin, limping. Nico passed me, probably on his way to breakfast. When I took another two paces forward, he appeared at my side. "Hey. What just happened to you?" he asked, his brows meeting at the center of his forehead. I managed a faint smile. "A little run-in with the queen of mean." He cocked his head. Slowly, he began to nod. "Oh." He shoved hi hands into his pockets. "So. You ready?" I glared at him pointedly. I sighed, and then nodded. I tried to take a step on my bad ankle and winced. "You okay?" He asked. I couldn't help but blush. The hint of concern in his voice was enough to make a girl melt. "Yep. I'm Fine." I replied, looking up. I could tell that he saw the hint of pink on my cheeks because he smiled, making me even redder.

"Okay," Nico said as we reached my cabin. "I guess I'll see you later."

Nico's POV

Dylan's Aunt Carly picked us up in the nearest bus station. Dylan sat across me in the back of Aunt Carly's car, tapping away on her iPod. She was now wearing the Clarion uniform, (no complaints on how short it was) high heels sitting beside her. I looked down at my own, um, outfit, which was black jeans, a white shirt, a black leather jacket, black converse sneakers and aviator sunglasses. Because of Dylan, I think I looked… nice. She helped me pull this outfit together, after digging in my closet (which did not contain much). "I can see that you like your outfit." Dylan said beside me, looking up from her iPod and smiling. I smiled back at her. "Yep, thanks to you, I look hot!" she stifled a laugh. "Yeah, right. Try not to be a babe magnet there, okay? Or I'll have to drag you out and throw you out." I couldn't help but laugh too. "Okay then. I'll try my best." Still giggling, she went back to playing Cut the Rope, thumbs sliding across the iPod's glossy screen.

Just before we reached Clarion, Dylan tried wearing her high heels, wincing all the way. "Oh you don't have to wear those, honey." Aunt Carly said. Dylan looked relieved.

I found myself sitting in the auditorium, Dylan's iPod in my hands. I could also hear other girls whispering about me, a few seats behind. Rolling my eyes, I ignored them. Suddenly, I heard a strange hissing sound. I think Dylan heard it too, since she suddenly snapped up, saying, "Did you hear that?" I didn't answer, but I guess she didn't mind, since she started looking around. Then I heard her let out a small gasp. A second later, she suddenly grabbed my arm. "We have to get outta here." I didn't move. She looked at me and added. "Now would be a good time to start moving, Nico." "Fine then." I replied, standing up.

Dylan limp-dragged me out of the auditorium and to a dimly lit corridor. Panting, she flopped down on the floor. To my surprise, she pulled out a bag of ambrosia and popped one into her mouth. "What the hell was that for?" I asked. She looked at me with innocent eyes, and said, "I don't want to limp in case we have to fight." I swear, my jaw dropped straight to Tartarus at that remark. "What? Why didn't you take it in the first place?" She paused to chew and swallow her ambrosia square. "Because it may only help my ankle feel better but not heal it when I was just injured, so I took it now, when my ankle is feeling way better than before."

"You were injured a few hours ago!"

"I heal quickly"

"What?"

At this point, Dylan rolled her eyes. "Whatever Nico. Any more questions on what I did?"

"None."

"Ready."

It all happened in a blur. Dylan immediately landed a stab on its-er, her back. But after a while, something started to go wrong. I, being the idiot, stood near her tail. Dylan landed a stab, yelled something, then a flash of green hit me and I slammed into the wall. My vision blurred, I felt something drip down my cheek, and then I passed out. Nice.

Dylan's POV

Great. Nico was heroically passed out. How am I supposed to handle _her_ on my own? I was cut up and bleeding and my arm was sore already. Well, better finish what I started. When I saw the chance, I stabbed Echidna in the chest, and she turned into dust instantly. Since when did dealing with monsters became this easy? Then I remembered Nico, sprawled out on the schmancy floor of this schmancy place. I knelt down and cradled his head on my lap. There was a nasty cut on his forehead, which was bleeding. "Oh no, NO!" "Here." A voice said, handing me a canteen of nectar. I looked up. "Aunt Carly?" "Get used to it, Dylan. I'm also a Demigod."

I still couldn't believe it. _Aunt Carly?_ A _Demigod?_ Seriously, who's the prankster here? "Aunt Carly," I started. "Are you _really_ a demigod?" she smiled. "Still hard to believe, huh? Well, we just need to face the truth. I _am_ a demigod. Daughter of Athena." I went slack-jawed. "No way." I said, and as you can guess, I'm having trouble believing what she was saying. "Yes way." Aunt Carly replied, grinning. "Does dad know?" I asked. Aunt Carly nodded. "He knew from the start. And he wasn't surprised when I told him." I decided to let it drop. "Okay." I turned my attention on the unconscious Son of Hades. Nico's head was bandaged, a patch of blood clearly visible on the white cloth. I couldn't help smiling. Jeez, this guy looks good at any state.

Nico's POV

My eyes fluttered open, and I immediately felt a shot of pain in my forehead. "Ow." I muttered, and sat upright. I was now in the infirmary. I looked around and saw Dylan sitting on a chair, her nose buried in a _Harry Potter_ book. She looked up. "Oh, hey Nico. Finally awake!"


End file.
